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WORLD NEWS Monday 5 october 2020
Mountain flooding kills 2 in Italy, traps dozens in France

By SYLVIE CORBET and COL- toll," Castex said.
LEEN BARRY Many worried families had
PARIS (AP) — Italian fire- not heard from their rela-
fighters rescued 25 people tives due to cellphone ser-
trapped on the French side vices being cut off in the
of a high mountain pass by area.
severe flooding that killed "As I speak, priority goes
two people in Italy, while to searching for victims,
15 were stuck in a train sta- providing supplies and ac-
tion for the night and eight commodation for the peo-
more remained missing Sat- ple affected, and restor-
urday in France. ing communications," the
A storm that moved over- prime minister said.
night across southeastern Rescue efforts included
France into northwestern 871 personnel working on
Italy caused major flooding the ground, as well as mili-
on both sides of the border, tary helicopters and troops
destroying bridges, block- helping with emergency
ing roads and isolating assistance, Castex said.
communities. French President Emmanu-
In Italy, a firefighter was el Macron on Saturday ex-
killed during a rescue op- pressed gratitude toward
eration in the mountain- rescuers on Twitter. "To-
ous northern region of Val gether we will get through
d'Aosta. A search team this," he said.
found a body in the Pied- People wear waders as they observe St. Mark's Square during an expected high water, in Venice, France's national weather
mont region's Vercelli prov- northern Italy, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020. agency, Meteo France,
ince, where a man had Associated Press said that up to 500 milli-
been swept away by flood meters of rain (19.7 inches)
waters late Friday. a search was ongoing for a as much as 630 millimeters border, in southeastern were recorded in some ar-
The Italian firefighters used missing shepherd who was (24.8 inches) of rain fell in a France, almost a year's av- eas, the equivalent of al-
a helicopter to ferry 17 pulled into flood waters on 24 hour period, according erage rainfall fell in less than most one year of average
people to safety from the Col de Tende. His brother to the Italian civil protec- 12 hours in the mountainous rainfall.
French town of Vievola, in- managed to grab onto a tion agency. area surrounding the city of Meteo France issued a
cluding a woman with two tree and was saved, while Hundreds of rescue opera- Nice. Nice mayor Christian danger alert on Friday and
grandchildren. A bulldoz- authorities were searching tions were carried out. Elev- Estrosi said over 100 homes all schools in the region had
er fetched another eight on the French side for the en campers were saved were destroyed or severely been closed. Local authori-
people who managed to shepherd. in Vercelli province, where damaged in the area. ties urged people to stay at
climb the Col de Tende, a The situation at the tunnel floodwaters hit 20-year French Prime Minister Jean home.
high mountain pass linking on the high mountain pass highs. And Alpine rescue Castex, who flew over the In central Switzerland,
France and Italy, to a tun- was complicated by the squads have evacuated area in an helicopter, con- flooding along the Reuss
nel. fact that French emergen- by foot seven people who firmed that at least eight River caused the closure
Fifteen more people were cy responders cannot ac- were in houses cut off by people were missing in of a stretch of the A2 high-
taking shelter in the Vievola cess their side due to flood flooding at Terme di Vald- France, including two fire- way – a major trans-Alpine
train station after the op- damage, Cari said. ieri; some had to be carried fighters whose vehicle was route. Further east, 13 resi-
eration to rescue them was Unrelenting rainfall over- on stretchers due to the carried away by water dents were evacuated
put off until daylight. night hit levels not seen muddy conditions and ac- when a road collapsed. from their homes in the
The spokesman for Italy's since 1958 in northern Italy's cumulation of detritus. "I cannot hide our grave town of Diesbach because
firefighters, Luca Cari, said Piedmont region, where On the other side of the concern on the definitive of flooding.q

Billions in bullion shifted ahead of Dutch bank rebuild

THE HAGUE, Netherlands billion), the bank also shift- statement that the "care-
(AP) — This really was the ed bills worth another 4.5 fully planned operation
gold standard of road trips. billion euros ($5.3 billion) in went smoothly and safely."
The Netherlands' cen- the operation that was led The move comes ahead of
tral bank transported its by the Royal Dutch Military renovations of the central
Dutch-based stock of gold Police. bank's Amsterdam offices
— 14,000 bars and about The cash and gold traveled and the permanent move
1,000 boxes of gold coins about 20 kilometers (12.5 of the gold and bank bills
— from its headquarters in miles) in trucks guarded by to a vault that has yet to be
Amsterdam to a safe in the armed military police, po- built in the central town of
nearby city of Haarlem in lice motorcycle outriders Zeist.
a meticulously and closely and with a police helicop- The Dutch central bank
guarded operation that ter hovering overhead. The doesn't store all its gold in
ended Saturday, the bank operation started Friday the Netherlands. It also has In this Monday, Oct. 12, 2009 file photo, reporters wait outside
the De Nederlandsche Bank, the Dutch national bank, in Am-
said in a statement. and ended Saturday after- large reserves stored in the sterdam, Netherlands.
Along with the bullion noon. United States, Britain and Associated Press
worth 10 billion euros ($11.7 The military police said in a Canada.q