Flooding
Six people, including several Belgians, have gone missing in the French department of Gard after flooding. The prefecture reports this. They were swept away by the water when they tried to cross bridges. And a person has also been reported missing in the Ardèche.
A motorist of Belgian nationality was reported missing on Saturday evening after he wanted to cross a bridge in Gagnières around 7.45 pm. This is a 62 year old man. The other occupant of the car – also a Belgian – was able to leave the car and climb a tree. After a few hours, the person was rescued by the fire brigade.
The Federal Public Service Foreign Affairs confirms that it has been informed by local authorities that two Belgians have been hit by severe weather in Gagnières. “The first person was taken to hospital. The second is still missing,” a spokesperson said. The Consulate General of Belgium in Marseille is closely monitoring the situation, in collaboration with local authorities.
A family of four, including two children aged 4 and 13, were also surprised by the water as they tried to cross a bridge over the Gardon in Dions, north of Nîmes, said secretary general of the prefecture Frédéric Loiseau.
Code orange
They were able to notify the emergency services after driving onto the bridge, but their car was swept away by the water and has not yet been found. The father and children are missing, the mother was found by rescuers and taken to hospital. The emergency services are searching en masse for the missing.
On Sunday morning, emergency services also received an emergency call from a car with two female occupants. After the call, the emergency services lost all contact. According to local media, the two occupants also have Belgian nationality. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not have any information about this, but is monitoring the situation closely.
And a man has also been missing in the Ardèche since Saturday. It concerns the person in charge of a hydroelectric power station who had left to check the installation.
Code orange applies in the Gard and six other departments in France due to heavy rain. Residents are advised not to visit watercourses.
