Number of victims rising from floods in France

At least 13 people have lost their lives and five have been injured in floods that hit southwestern France, the French Interior Ministry announced today.

One person is missing and five people are seriously injured, the AP reported.

Due to floods in the Od region southwest of France, many roads were flooded and rivers swelled after the night rained for several hours, local officials said.

The region's Prefect, Alain Turion, told French channel BFMTV that six helicopters were trying to help people who remained trapped in the roof of homes, but that the difficult weather made it difficult for rescue efforts involving 250 firefighters and 100 police.

The “people were trapped on the roof. We'll have to evacuate them with a butterfly, because we can't reach them by boat because of the huge amount of water, and that's very dangerous, “he said.

The AP broadcast that some of the victims were registered in the area around the town of Vjgelennk and that the local river rose to more than six metres in Konk-sur-Orbil.

TV shows that water runs through towns and villages, as well as sunken cars.

Schools in that area are allegedly closed, and authorities call on the population to stay at home.