Woman dies, 80-year-old saved as floods hit south-east France
One woman died and an 80-year-old motorist was rescued by bystanders during torrential rains and floods in south-eastern France on Tuesday. Weather-forecasters lifted storm warnings on Wednesday.
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A 32-year-old woman was killed by a mudslide in Saint-Blaise, a village in the French Alps, as heavy rain hit over a quarter of mainland France.
Firefighters rescued a 54-year-old motorist trapped in his vehicle in Saint-Chamond, not far from Saint Etienne, and roads were flooded and train services cancelled when the river Gier burst its banks.
An 80-year-old woman was rescued by men working nearby when her car was submerged and they plunged into the water in response to her calls for help.
The river Rhone flooded bridlepaths at Avignon and two nearby campsites were evacuated.
Nice airport was closed for two hours and a mudslide cut off access to the city’s beaches, which were still closed to the public on Wednesday morning.
The Météo France weather service lifted its orange warning for storms in the Alps and Jura mountains on Wednesday morning.
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