Death toll rises to 12 as Italy, France witness devastating floods; several missing

Severe mountain flooding has destructed parts of Italy and France claiming at least 12 lives. Three dead bodies were found on the French side which shares a border with Italy. According to the Associated Press reports, hundreds of rescue workers were rushed to the spot and a rescue operation was initiated to search for up to 20 others still missing. The massive flooding ravaged the mountainous regions in France's southeastern Alpes-Maritimes region and Italy’s northwestern regions of Liguria and Piedmont in the aftermath of a storm that hit the regions on Friday and Saturday.

READ: Flooding Hits Mountainous Areas In Southeast France

Dead bodies swept away

As per reports, many dead bodies could not be identified as the current in the waters swept them away. France's Alpes-Maritimes region prefect was reported to have spoken to a local newspaper, Nice Matin, claiming that some bodies found in Italy side were apparently corpses from coffins that had been swept away across the border by the immense currents in the water. Bernard Gonzalez further added on Monday afternoon that two more bodies had been found in the region after the one which was found Sunday in the worst-hit town of Saint-Martin-Vesubie. A woman's body was discovered Monday in the Mediterranean Sea near the Ligurian province of Imperia in Italy. In addition to this, five other bodies, all men, were found on Sunday in the Italian coastal town of Ventimiglia. 

READ: Flooding On France-Italy Border Kills Firefighter; 25 Missing

A local newspaper quoted him saying, "The bodies found correspond to decomposing cadavers from our side ... but it's most likely the bodies came from cemeteries swept away by the water”. 

The raging floodwaters did not even spare the livestock and the carcasses were seen floating up on a beach in the French Riviera town of Saint-Laurent du Var. In addition, the French rescuers continued the rescue operation to trace 12 other people whose families have not heard of them since the storm that cut off communications and encroached the roads. 
The widespread flooding has put an additional burden on the regions dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. The governors of both Liguria and Piedmont have urged the Italian government for emergency aid. 

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Inputs: AP