Flood toll rises in southern France

Police are searching for at least 12 others. The floods were triggered by torrential rain which swept across the Gard, Herault and Vaucluse departments.

As the flood waters rose, power supplies and telephone lines were cut to tens of thousands of homes. At least 1,000 people were evacuated, and several bridges were swept away.

A dam burst in the village of Aramon, near Nimes, causing 11 deaths there alone.

Transport was badly hit. Many rail services were suspended and roads were closed.

Many of the dead came from the Nimes area, although villages outside Avignon and Uzes were also hit, and the town of Orange was badly flooded.

The victims included a firefighter who died after rescuing a couple trapped in their car in the village of Galargues in Herault.

French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin and Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy, went to the flood zone to see the devastation, and promised an initial emergency aid package of 10 million euros (£6.2m).

"I have come here to show emotion and national solidarity for all our compatriots," Mr Raffarin said in Sommieres, one of the worst-hit places.

Forecasters said the worst of the rain had passed, and the waters were expected to recede during Tuesday.

Local authorities declared a state of alert on Monday as the flood waters rose.

Two motorways, the A9 and A7, had to be closed on Monday, leaving drivers with no other routes to and from the Mediterranean. Officials appealed to motorists to stay at home.

"We strongly urge people not to drive in the Gard and Vaucluse departments," said a spokesman for the Regional Traffic Information Centre (CRIR).

Rail travel was also severely disrupted. The high-speed TGV service was suspended when a tree fell onto the line. Rail travellers to south-eastern France were urged to postpone their journeys.

Vineyards producing Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine were also deluged.

The floods come only weeks after large parts of central and eastern Europe suffered their worst flooding in decades, killing dozens and causing devastation in many historic towns and cities.

In France, the authorities said that Nimes' Roman arena and other remains had not been damaged, but there were still fears for some of the region's other historic treasures.