Man swept away by floods on France’s Corsica island found dead

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - A man who went missing after floodwaters swept away his vehicle on the French island of Corsica was found dead late Tuesday, broadcaster BFMTV reported Wednesday, citing the prefecture.

The man, in his 60s, was traveling with a woman when their vehicle was swept away by a river in Ghisonaccia. The woman managed to escape, while the man was reported missing before his body was recovered.

The death came as a powerful Mediterranean storm brought torrential rain to southeastern France, with Corsica particularly hard hit.

A weather station at the Solenzara air base recorded 612 millimeters (24.1 inches) of rain in 24 hours, equivalent to five times the area’s average rainfall for October, according to the broadcaster.

Dozens of vehicles were caught in floodwaters, forcing rescuers to evacuate some motorists. Others were provided overnight accommodation as submerged roads became impassable.

Separately, firefighters found another person dead Tuesday in Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts in the southern Bouches-du-Rhone department following a major search operation involving a helicopter.

The circumstances of that death remain under investigation, firefighters said.

The severe weather episode has since ended, with no French departments remaining under an orange weather alert, BFMTV reported.

Necva Taştan Sevinç