French health boss quits in heat row

Raffarin (r) is trying to regain the initiative

France's surgeon-general has resigned in the wake of the heatwave crisis which has left thousands dead and in hospital.

Lucien Abenhaim's office had faced criticism for failing to sound the alarm as hospitals and mortuaries filled to overflowing.

News of his resignation came hours after the French health minister confirmed the extreme temperatures could have killed up to 5,000 people.

The record-breaking heatwave, which has been sweeping western Europe over the last two weeks, has now subsided in most areas.

I own up to my share of responsibility in this tragedy, but I reject any notion that the public authorities did not work properly Jean-Pierre Raffarin French prime minister

But it has been followed by violent storms and torrential rain in parts of Spain and France which have ripped up trees and cut power lines.

Rail services in Catalonia, north-eastern Spain, were disrupted and considerable damage was caused to houses in the region.

And a man drowned after trying to swim from his boat to the shore of a lake near the south-eastern French city of Grenoble.

The high number of deaths has caused a major crisis

But no end is in sight to the heatwave in central Italy, and some forest fires continue to burn in Spain's remote western Extremadura region.

In France, doctors' groups and the Socialist opposition have criticised the government for failing to prepare medical workers for the heatwave.

Health Minister Jean-Francois Mattei, who is himself facing calls to quit, has admitted the final death toll could pass the 1,600-3,000 figure already estimated by his ministry.

"The figure of 5,000... is one hypothesis. It's plausible but it's just a hypothesis," Mr Mattei told France's RTL radio.

"The health minister who is facing you and who fully shoulders his responsibilities did not receive any warning signals and ... the Directorate General of Health ... on Monday 11 August ... told me that the situation was under control," he said later.

Last summer the situation was catastrophic and this year it is worse, we were not at all prepared - the hospital system is failing Muriel Chaillet Paris doctor Hospitals never stood a chance

Meanwhile, Mr Abenheim suggested that some criticism of the government had been unfair.

"We faced a heatwave catastrophe the like of which had not been seen for more than 100 years," he told France-Info radio.

"But clearly in our country we tend a bit to look for scapegoats, which is totally unacceptable."

However, Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin offered a partial admission of failure.

"Obviously I own up to my share of responsibility in this tragedy, but I reject any notion that the public authorities did not work properly," he told Journal du Dimanche newspaper.

Correspondents say Mr Raffarin is now trying to regain the initiative.

He interrupted his holiday last week and on Saturday announced a review of health alert procedures.

Government members were criticised last week for not returning immediately from the traditional August break.

The government has tried to put some blame on families who left elderly relatives alone for the summer holidays.

The witch-hunt to find out who is responsible in this crisis is, frankly, indecent - we are all responsible Marc Gentilini Red Cross president

It has also criticised the previous Socialist government for limiting France's working week to 35 hours, a measure which it said has left medical centres and hospitals short-staffed.

But the continuing left-right row has dismayed some.

"The witch-hunt to find out who is responsible in this crisis is, frankly, indecent," French Red Cross President Marc Gentilini told Le Parisien newspaper. "We are all responsible."