The authorities raised this Sunday to four the number of deaths from the storm in Franceafter they were discovered inside a vehicle two lifeless bodies in Goudargues (Gard), where they were searching for two women reported missing since this morning.

Rescue teams continue to search for the four remaining missing persons, all of them in the southeast of the country (Gard and Ardèche departments) and among whom are two minors, aged 4 and 13, and their father. The first fatality reported due to bad weather was that of an 80-year-old fisherman, swallowed this Sunday by the tide on the island of Ré, on the west coast of the country.

Next, the Gard Government delegation reported the discovery of the body of a Belgian citizen, about 60 years old and whose Vehicle was hit by the current of water while trying to cross a bridge with his SUV, even though the authorities had prohibited its use. The man was accompanied by another occupant who was able to escape from the car and be rescued after spending two hours sheltering in the branches of a tree.

The authorities have not confirmed the identity of the latest fatalities, although it is suspected that they are two women, aged 47 and 50. The two had notified the rescue teams early this Sunday while crossing a bridge that was flooded. Both were heading to Spain, although, as the Gard Government delegation clarified to ‘EFE’, they do not have nationality from that country.

Firefighters are still searching for three people in the Dions area (Gard), including the two minors and their father, and for a man who was lost in Saint-Martin-de-Valama (Ardèche). The departments of Gard and Ardéche are affected by the storm Monica, characterized by its torrential rains that are expected to subside during this day. Four helicopters, drones and 300 firefighters are mobilized in search and rescue operations in this area of ​​the country.

Meanwhile, the French Atlantic coast is under the influence of an atmospheric depression other than Storm Monica. The western coast, which runs from the Spanish border of the Basque Country to Brittany, is on alert due to the waves and sudden tides, which, for the moment, have claimed the life of the 80-year-old fisherman.