British woman, 68, is among three killed in French floods: Ex-pat was found by emergency workers at her home after days of heavy rain caused rivers to burst their banks
- Briton, 68, found by rescue workers near home in Languedoc-Roussillon region
- She was airlifted to hospital on Thursday but died overnight, authorities said
- Woman is among three dead amid flooding that has struck the south of France
- 700 homes are without power and floodwaters have washed away train lines
Three people, including a British woman, have died after several days of heavy rain sent rivers flooding over their banks across southern France, causing ‘significant damage,’ the interior ministry said Thursday.
Rescue workers have carried out nearly 1,800 operations since Sunday, a ministry statement said, after eight departments were placed on high alert for flash floods.
Among the victims was a 68-year-old British woman who was found by emergency workers near her home in the town of Cazouls d’Herault in the Languedoc-Roussillon region.
A 68-year-old Briton has died after she was found in floodwaters near her home in the Languedoc-Roussillon region following days of heavy rains
The woman was airlifted to hospital on Thursday but died overnight, medics from the town of Beziers (pictured) in the south of France said
She was taken by helicopter to hospital but died overnight, a local official in the town of Beziers said.
Officials said later however that it was not clear if the two other reported deaths were directly linked to the flooding.
In the Gard region, a man in his nineties was killed Wednesday when his car came off the road.
Authorities in the Pyrenees-Orientales prefecture told AFP that a homeless man was found dead on Tuesday. An enquiry was underway to determine the cause of his death.
Around 700 homes remain without power in Herault and Gard, and the flooding could halt train services across much of the area until at least November 4, the SNCF train operator said.
Days of heavy rains have caused rivers to burst their banks in the south of France, leading to flooding in Villeneuve-les-Beziers (pictured)
Around 700 homes are still without power amid the flooding, while waters have washed away the ground underneath railway tracks, halting the trains
‘This toll could have been higher,’ Transport Minister Elisabeth Borne said while inspecting the damage in Beziers, a city hit particularly hard.
Flooding also killed a man in northeastern Spain this week, and five people were missing, officials said Wednesday.
Flooding and landslides forced the closure of nearly 50 roads and halted train services in the region, as well as forcing the diversion of 37 flights, Spanish authorities said.