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France weather: Red alert as flash floods kill six in south-west | France weather: Red alert as flash floods kill six in south-west |
(about 1 hour later) | |
At least six people have been killed by flash floods in the Aude region of south-western France. | At least six people have been killed by flash floods in the Aude region of south-western France. |
Local authorities say several months' worth of rain fell in just a few hours overnight, leaving roads blocked in some areas. | Local authorities say several months' worth of rain fell in just a few hours overnight, leaving roads blocked in some areas. |
One woman was swept away by the River Aude, local broadcaster BFMTV reports. | One woman was swept away by the River Aude, local broadcaster BFMTV reports. |
Alain Thirion, the prefect of Aude, said people were stranded on rooftops and would have to be evacuated by air because it was too dangerous by boat. | Alain Thirion, the prefect of Aude, said people were stranded on rooftops and would have to be evacuated by air because it was too dangerous by boat. |
One person was injured, he added, when a house collapsed in the locality of Cuxac. | One person was injured, he added, when a house collapsed in the locality of Cuxac. |
Residents of the worst-hit areas have been urged to stay inside their homes by emergency services and local authorities, who have issued a red alert. | |
The floods are the worst the Aude river has seen in more than 100 years, according to the weather monitoring service Vigicrues. | The floods are the worst the Aude river has seen in more than 100 years, according to the weather monitoring service Vigicrues. |
In Trèbes, floodwater is as high as seven metres (23ft), local authorities say. Footage from the early hours of Monday shows the rising waters. | |
All roads are inaccessible to the north of Carcassonne municipality and schools are shut, authorities say. | |
A bridge was torn down and carried away by the force of the water in that area, in the locality of Villegailhenc. | |
An amber warning for flooding has also been issued for the nearby regions of Aveyron, Haute-Garonne, Hérault, Pyrénées-Orientales and Tarn. |