Crews Work to Save Submerged French City
Thousands of French firefighters, helped by German, Italian and Belgian colleagues, started a massive operation Saturday to pump out water from the submerged historical southern city of Arles.
The French government said more than 7,000 firefighters and rescuers had been mobilized, as well as 900 gendarmes, 850 police officers, 550 military personnel and 20 helicopters.
Arles, about 40 miles from Marseille, was one of the main commercial centers of the Roman Empire. It is also famous for being the home, briefly, of Dutch impressionist painter Vincent van Gogh.
The city, which has a population of more than 50,000 and lies in the Rhone River delta, has been flooded since Thursday due to heavy rain. French authorities expect it will take about 10 days to pump away the water.
Seven people have died in the floods that struck southern France on Monday.
Local authorities estimate the cost of the damage in Arles to be between $180 million and $240 million.
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