PARIS, June 19 (Xinhua) -- French Interior Minister Manuel Valls on Wednesday confirmed the death of a second victim in les Hautes-Pyrenees following the flash floods sweeping the country's southwestern region.
"I confirm the death of a second person in a village that was completely isolated due to electricity and water shortage and where the risk of floods remained high," Valls told the news channel BFMTV.
The 75-year old man was reported missing Wednesday afternoon after being washed away by the waves of a river in flood in Luz-Saint-Sauveur, Hautes-Pyrenees.
Eealier, a 70-year old woman was swept away by the flood of the river Gave de Pau, in the town of Pierrefitte Nestalas, when she tried to escape from her vehicle but was washed away by water while the torrential rainfall struck the region.
The flash flooding triggered by torrential rain during the past two days turned city streets into rivers that swept away cars, trees and houses and also caused power outages and heavy damages in some regions.
Earlier in the day, the Interior Ministry said that 600 rescuers were deployed in Haute-Garonne and Hautes-Pyrenees, both put on red alert.
Valls announced the deployment of more rescuers and additional two helicopters "to deal with the floods that are quite exceptional," adding that 2,800 people have been evacuated.
Meteo, France meteorological service forecast, said Pyrenees -Atlantiques department remained on red alert and 39 others departments in the northern and eastern France were put under orange on predicted rains and floods till Thursday morning.
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