2 dead after flash floods, mudslides hit French Riviera

Two people have died and others are missing after flash flooding soaked the French Riviera, downing trees, trapping travellers and cutting electricity to thousands of homes.

The Nice airport was briefly closed, rivers broke their banks and sirens rang out in Mediterranean coastal towns Sunday. Images on French media showed cars peeking above inundated streets and waves slamming onto roadsides.

A rescue boat sank while bringing three people to shore near the town of Muy, and one of them died, the Var regional administration said. Another person was found dead in a car in the town of Cabasse.

Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi said authorities were searching for two missing people.

National weather service Meteo France said the area absorbed the equivalent of two months of average rainfall in 24 hours.