Heavy storms - several dead and missing

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Big waves break on the coast near Nice

Photo: Serge Haouzi / dpa

Flooded villages, houses torn away, blocked roads: after severe storms in the French-Italian border area, more than 20 people, including four Germans, are missing.

On the Italian side, two people were killed: A volunteer firefighter from the municipality of Arnad in the Aosta Valley died in a rescue operation from a fallen tree, as reported by the Italian news agency Ansa.

In Piedmont, a man got caught in the water of the Sesia River in a car during the night - he was washed away.

The storms occurred in the hinterland of the French Côte d'Azur and in the Italian region of Piedmont.

Many roads in the region with deeply cut mountain valleys were no longer passable.

Villages were cut off from the outside world.

Thousands of households were without electricity.

At Nice Airport, flight operations are back to normal, the airport announced via Twitter.

Four Germans missing

The four missing Germans are grandparents with their two grandchildren.

That said the spokeswoman for civil defense, Mara Anastasia, the AFP news agency.

France's Prime Minister Jean Castex visited the crisis area on the same day.

Castex assured the population of support;

this Wednesday the cabinet will declare a state of disaster for the affected communities.

Nice's Mayor Christian Estrosi said he had never seen a disaster of this magnitude in the region.

According to the media, the conservative politician announced that the army should be deployed in the region.

Around 100 houses were destroyed or damaged in the region, said Estrosi.

Storms in the region are not uncommon

Storms with severe consequences are not uncommon in the region.

In the autumn of last year, 14 people were killed.

The densely built-up Côte d'Azur was hit by severe storms exactly five years ago, 20 people died at the time.

Nice and the Côte d'Azur are particularly popular with holidaymakers in the summer months, including those from Germany.

However, the corona crisis has been affecting tourism, which is an important source of income for the region, since spring.

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bah / AFP / dpa