France-Italy Flood Aftermath: 12 Dead, More Missing, Corpses Washed from Cemeteries

The search for missing persons in the wake of France-Italy floods in Alpine villages and on nearby coast is faced with another gruesome challenge: finding the corpse of bodies from a cemetery damaged by violent rains and floods at the height of Storm Alex.

In France, the affected areas were declared natural disaster zones. President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit the area Wednesday.

Damaged Cemeteries and Washed Out Corpses

Bodies from cemeteries had washed up on the Italian side. The cemetery corpses were already in an advanced state of decomposition, having a stark difference from recent storm victims. The spokeswoman for France's Alpes-Maritimes regional administration said that cemeteries in the French towns of Saint-Martin-de-Vésubie and Tende were washed out with floods. In Tende, the village cemetery was divided, and bodies were unearthed.

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Missing Persons and Death Tolls

Since Friday, authorities reported 12 deaths: four were French, eight were Italian.

The true death toll may not be known in the next few days as remote communities remain isolated due to the storm's damage. Roya Valley, one of the hardest-hit villages, remains cut off as roads collapsed, and fallen trees and debris block several roads.

In France, rescuers are still searching for 21 people who went missing since the storm.  Among those missing are two firefighters whose vehicle fell into the water when a road collapsed.

Prime Minister Jean Castex said that they had deployed 900 rescuers, 500 police officers, and some troops for emergency operation in the mountainous regions where 12,000 residents are located.

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Missing Wildlife

A wildlife park in the French Riviera city of Nice was also damaged by the flood, leaving enclosures in rubble and causing animals to escape.

Seven black Canadian wolves were reported missing. French Office of Biodiversity warned that the wolves might starve to death as it is used to being fed; thus, it must be found and captured using a dart gun, the OFB regional director Eric Hansen said.  

Black Canadian Wolves weigh up to 80 kgs. A third enclosure with three Europeans was spared from the flood, and park officials said it would also be the Canadian wolves' temporary shelter when recaptured.

Other animals from the zoo were also found dead. A polar bear was found dead after raging waters swept its enclosure. The park has three bears, and Hansen believed that the two bears had died as well.

Life After the Storm

Breil-sur-Roya, the river known for trout fishing and is the lifeline of 2,000 residents, became a torrent of mud, rocks, and debris during the storm. Long-time residents say they have not seen anything like it since.

The village started cleaning up, spending the entire days shoveling muds out of homes and shops. Trucks hauling felled trees and debris to clear streets and roads became a common sight. Cars damaged by the flood were piled on top of each other.

Georges Pomarede, a retired police officer, said that the situation was "catastrophic": their campgrounds, stadium, swimming pool, shops, hotel are all gone, and houses were ravaged by flood. Pomarede further described the France-Italy floods as a phenomenal disaster.

READ NEXT: Storm Alex: 9 Dead, More Missing, Hundreds of Houses Swept Away 

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