The remains of five victims of the devastating floods in early October in the Alpes-Maritimes were returned to families after their formal identification, the Nice prosecutor's office said on Wednesday, bringing the provisional toll of those missing in the disaster to 13, against 9 previously .
The water washed away "nearly 400 graves (...) which considerably complicates the task of the investigators", underlined the public prosecutor Xavier Bonhomme, calling for "caution" concerning the provisional balance sheet of seven bodies found including five attributed with certainty to bad weather and 13 missing.
"The balance sheet is not frozen"
In this count, a body was found in Monaco and quickly handed over to the French authorities.
Among the identified victims is also a 49-year-old firefighter swept away by the waters and to whom an official tribute must be paid Wednesday afternoon in the presence of the prefect.
Seven bodies were also found in Italy without certainty on the cause or place of death.
“In the balance sheet, we can certainly add everything, but while being extremely careful.
Research is continuing, the results are not frozen, ”he insisted.
"We must be aware that we are in the presence of a totally extraordinary event," said the prosecutor during a press briefing with the gendarmerie.
The prosecutor referred to the impressive material damage suffered by the two most affected valleys, the Vésubie and the Roya, but above all to the unprecedented nature according to him in France of the destruction of two cemeteries, total in Saint-Martin-Vésubie and partial in Saint-Dalmas-de-Tende.
"According to the information we have gathered, this is the first time," said Xavier Bonhomme.
"48 hours ahead of us"
However, “forensic scientists tell us that in general, after four or five days in the water, it is very difficult if not impossible to determine whether it is a body linked to the storm or [... ] from one of the two cemeteries, ”he added.
"It's empirical and to be taken with precaution but […] we may have 48 hours ahead of us, and more…", added Colonel Nicolas Thiburce, head of division at the Criminal Research Institute of the National Gendarmerie (IRCGN) whose team is working on the identification of bodies.
Finally questioned whether complaints had been filed for example for constructions in areas deemed to be flooded, Xavier Bonhomme assured: “For the moment, I am in a hurry to do everything possible to find possible victims.
If I am seized in the days or weeks that come with complaints about such or such dysfunction, I will do my job ”.