1,600 people evacuated due to flash floods in the south of France

PARIS -- Heavy rains in the southeast of France caused flash flooding and led to the evacuation of 1,600 people in the Ardèche, Gard and Drôme regions for precautionary measures yesterday.

In the Gard region, where strong rains poured down all day on Thursday, rivers quickly overflowed their banks and 119 children were rescued from their campsite at Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas, the French interior minister said in a statement.

About 750 people, mostly from campsites, were evacuated in the Gard region alone, local authorities announced last night.

An elderly German citizen serving as a monitor at a campsite was missing, local authorities said. Search operations were suspended last night and restarted this morning.

About 400 firefighters and policemen, backed by four helicopters, helped in the evacuations and performed rescue operations, the French interior minister said.

Ten people were hospitalized with hypothermia and minor injuries, the Gard Gendarmerie said on its Facebook page.

The weather in the southeast of France has improved this morning but authorities are urging people to stay vigilant as the flooding are receding.