This Article is From Jun 03, 2016

20,000 Without Power In France Amid Floods

20,000 Without Power In France Amid Floods

The river Seine bursting its banks next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. (AFP Photo)

Highlights

  • Blackouts in South and East Paris after days of flooding and rain
  • Heavy traffic on Paris roads and many train stations have been closed
  • President Francois Hollande to declare it a 'natural disaster' next week
Paris: French energy company Enedis says that more than 20,000 customers are without power in the wake of days of flooding and heavy rains.

In a text message, the company says that the blackouts on Friday are concentrated in the departments of Seine et Marne and Essonne - to the east and south of Paris, respectively.

Traffic in the capital was snarled as flooding choked roads and several Paris railway stations were shut. The country's environment ministry said the Seine had not reached such levels since 1982.

The Louvre Museum is closed Friday as staff work to remove artworks from rooms threatened by the rising waters.

French President Francois Hollande has said that a "natural disaster" will be formally declared next week in a Cabinet meeting for areas most affected by the flooding that has hit Paris and France's central regions.
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