Severe storms in southern France leave 3 dead, 2 missing

Intense thunderstorms and torrential rain in southeastern France have killed at least three people and left two others missing, local authorities said late Tuesday.

The Var department was among the worst hit, where flash floods swept away roads, bridges, and vehicles, France 24 reported.

Two of the victims were an elderly couple whose car was carried away by a torrent in the coastal town of Le Lavandou.

The body of the woman was found trapped inside the wreckage, according to Toulon Prosecutor Samuel Finielz.

Search operations are ongoing for two missing individuals, officials from the gendarmerie and the Var prefecture confirmed.

Local Mayor Gil Bernardi described the scenes in Le Lavandou as a "war zone," reporting that 255 milimeters (10 inches) of rain fell in just one hour.

"There's nothing left, no electricity, no drinking water, no wastewater treatment," he told reporters.

In the Maures plain in Vidauban, a third person also died from being trapped in a submerged vehicle after being swept away on a flooded country road. Mayor Claude Pianetti said the driver was rescued by a local official who happened to be nearby, but the passenger could not be saved.

The storms also damaged infrastructure across other towns including La Mole, where the local airport serving Saint-Tropez was closed. Authorities are assessing the state of water access, sanitation systems, and road networks in the affected areas.

Meteorologists recorded rainfalls of over 100 mm (4 in) in several locations, including Bormes-les-Mimosas and the hills north of Le Lavandou.

The deadly weather followed similar downpours a day earlier in southwestern France. In Lot-et-Garonne, flooding disrupted train service between Bordeaux and Toulouse after a stream undermined the railway's foundation near Tonneins.

A high-speed train carrying over 500 passengers was halted and later evacuated.

No injuries were reported, but officials said the damage could have easily resulted in a major accident.

France's national rail operator SNCF said train service on the affected line will remain suspended "for several days," impacting high-speed connections between Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Paris.

In L'Honor-de-Cos, near Montauban, over 100 mm (4 in) of rain fell in just a few hours, sweeping away three small bridges and causing further damage.

Emergency services continue to respond to dozens of rescue calls, with reinforcements sent from nearby localities to assist the 200 firefighters already deployed.