GENEVA: Ferocious storms and torrential rains that lashed Switzerland, France and Italy this weekend have left seven people dead, local authorities said on Sunday.
In France’s northeastern Aube region, three elderly persons lost their lives on Saturday when a tree fell and crushed their vehicle during intense winds. Local authorities told AFP that the victims, aged in their 70s and 80s, succumbed to their injuries at the scene, while a fourth passenger remained in critical condition.
Meanwhile, in Switzerland, devastating torrential rains triggered a landslide in the Italian-speaking canton of Ticino, claiming the lives of two women who were on holiday in the Alpine region. A third person is reported missing as emergency services continue search and rescue operations in challenging weather conditions.
The aftermath of the storms has posed significant challenges for emergency responders across the affected regions. In Ticino, approximately 300 persons participating in a football tournament in Peccia are being evacuated, while nearly 70 others are being rescued from a holiday camp in Mogno.
In Switzerland’s western canton of Valais, civil security services have evacuated “several hundred” residents and closed multiple roads due to overflowed rivers, including the Rhone and its tributaries.
Across the border in northern Italy’s Aosta Valley, social media has been flooded with images depicting widespread flooding and swollen rivers cascading down mountainous terrain.
Scientists say climate change driven by human activity is increasing the severity, frequency and length of extreme weather events such as floods and storms.
