A man is missing after being swept away by the flooded Loire river in western France, where four departments are on the highest flood alert.
PARIS: A man attempting to navigate the swollen Loire river has been swept away as much of western France was placed under high alert for severe flooding.
The 53-year-old man fell from a small boat or kayak south of the city of Angers, according to local media reports. Search operations are underway, but officials hold little hope of finding him alive.
Senior official Francois Pesneau said the flow and speed of the river after heavy rains meant there was “objectively little chance of finding that person.”
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Four French departments are under a red alert, the highest level, with nine more on orange alert, indicating major flooding is occurring or imminent. In the nearby town of Denee, residents are now forced to travel by boat.
Municipal worker Jason Garnier said the floods have made roads impassable. “The only way to come to the village is by boat,” he explained, adding that residents commute to work by boat.
French Environment Minister Monique Barbut stated that soil moisture levels are the highest recorded since 1959 after more than 30 days of bad weather. Spain, Portugal and Britain have also experienced severe flooding this year due to unusually heavy rainfall.
