Sources from Paris have stated that at least 17 people have been killed in floods that have wrought havoc in parts of Europe after days of pounding rain, trapping people in their homes and forcing rescuers to row lifeboats down streets turned into rivers.
French President Francois Hollande made a late night visit to the Louvre, where dozens of volunteers worked through the night to save some of the 38,000 artworks thought to be at risk. Paris firefighters warned people to keep away from dangerous parts of the river, but crowds still gathered on the famous Pont du Carrousel Bridge to watch the swirling waters.
Persistently heavy rainfall across western and central Europe has swollen rivers and claimed victims from at least four countries and eleven people have been killed in the German states of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg, and two in Romania, while a beekeeper died in Belgium while trying to save his hives.
The Prime Minister Manuel Valls has told that the government would meet insurance industry representatives on Monday to ensure that flood victims would be rapidly and efficiently compensated for their loss.
