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One missing, 1,600 evacuated at flooded French campsites

By Daniel Uria

Aug. 9 (UPI) -- One person is missing and more than 1,600 people have been evacuated as a result of flooding in southern France, officials said.

Torrential rains Wednesday caused the heavy flooding in the Gard region. Police said a 70-year-old German man who was helping to supervise children at a summer camp was missing and was feared to have been swept away by floodwaters while inside his caravan.

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Police said the caravan was later found "empty and in pieces" after being swept away by water that overflowed from the Ardeche River.

Five campsites in the region were evacuated using helicopters and 119 children from a camp in Saint-Julien-de-Peyrolas were sent to an emergency shelter

Ten people were taken to hospitals to be treated for minor injuries, including four German children with hypothermia.

More than 400 firefighters and police were deployed to Gard, Ardèche and Drôme, which were hit hardest by the flooding and rain.

About 17,000 homes in southwest and northeast France were without power and several roads were closed as a result of the floods.

Residents in the area were urged to monitor the weather and give flood waters time to recede.

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