At least three people have died after violent thunderstorms swept across southeastern France on Tuesday, triggering floods and destruction that local officials likened to war zones.
The fatalities include an elderly couple in their eighties who were swept away by floodwaters in the coastal town of Le Lavandou, and another person in the nearby town of Vidauban. According to Toulon public prosecutor Samuel Finielz, the woman’s body remained trapped inside their submerged vehicle. Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, citing extremely challenging rescue conditions.
Gil Bernardi, the mayor of Le Lavandou, described the devastation as “scenes of war,” noting that roads were torn apart and bridges destroyed. “There is nothing left no electricity, no drinking water, no sewage treatment plant,” he told BFM television, emphasizing the severity of the disaster.
In Vidauban, Mayor Claude Pianetti said a vehicle drove onto a flooded country road and plunged into a ditch. Although a local official managed to rescue the driver, the passenger could not be saved.
The chaos was not confined to the southeast. In southwestern France, hailstorms and torrential rain on Monday caused significant damage and travel disruption. A high-speed TGV train traveling from Toulouse to Paris was stranded overnight near Tonneins after the ground beneath the tracks gave way due to heavy flooding. Over 500 passengers were evacuated safely by bus in an overnight operation involving firefighters, police, and volunteers.
“We narrowly avoided a disaster,” said Dante Rinaudo, the mayor of Tonneins. “The tracks were exposed and the TGV was suspended.” He called for the storms to be officially recognized as a natural disaster due to the extensive flooding that inundated homes and cellars.
Another train between Toulouse and Paris was stranded overnight in Agen, with passengers bused back to Toulouse the following morning. State rail operator SNCF announced that rail services between Agen and Marmande will be suspended for several days, disrupting TGV services between Bordeaux and Toulouse.
Authorities continue damage assessments as cleanup and recovery operations intensify across the affected regions.
