Fierce storms and torrential rains across France, Switzerland, and Italy have killed seven people. Source: Tobias Van Der Elst, Flickr.
Fierce storms and torrential rains across France, Switzerland, and Italy have killed seven people, local authorities said on Sunday.
On Saturday — in France’s northeastern Aube region — three people in their 70s and 80s travelling during the storm were killed by a tree that crushed their car, with another passenger in critical care, told the AFP news agency.
According to local police in Switzerland, four people were found dead and another two missing after a thunderstorm caused flooding and landslides.
A man was also found dead in a hotel in Saas-Grun in the southwest canton of Valais, said police. They suspect he was possible taken by surprise by a sudden rise in floodwater.
Another man was reported missing in the Lavizzara side of the Maggia valley in the Italian-speaking Alpine Canton of Ticino.
“Several hundred” people were evacuated in Valais, said Switzerland’s civil security services, after the Rhone and its tributaries overflowed in different locations. Roads were also closed down.
Frederic Favre, the official responsible for civil security, said in a press conference that the situation in Valais was “under control”, but would remain “fragile” for the next upcoming days.
Rescue efforts were becoming particularly difficult due to the poor weather conditions, said police, with several valleys cut off from electricity.
The federal alert system also said part of the Canton was without drinking water.
In northern Italy, Asosta valley also suffered flooding and mudslides, though no deaths were reported. Internet users shared footage of floods and rivers rushing down mountain slopes.
Experts indicate that climate change induced by human activity is increasing the severity and intensity of extreme weathers, such as floods and storms.
Last month, turbulence due to climate change caused several injuries and deaths to people aboard Qatar airways and Singapore Airlines.
