France declares flood emergency as death toll rises

At least 10 people were reported killed in Germany, including in the city of Simbach am Inn

Two killed in France after River Seine reaches highest water level in 35 years, while Germany reports 10 deaths.

 

Torrential rain and flooding have killed at least 14 people in parts of Europe, with France declaring a natural disaster after the River Seine in Paris burst its banks in some places displacing thousands of people.

French President Francois Hollande made the announcement on Friday, saying compensation would be paid to those affected by the worst flooding to hit the French capital in 35 years.

"When there are climate phenomena of such seriousness, we must all be conscious that it's on a world scale and that we must act," Hollande said. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has ordered some parks to close, and gymnasiums to open to homeless people amid the flooding, which city authorities said could take weeks to recede.

The French interior ministry said the homes of some 20,000 people have been evacuated. Another 20,000 homes in the south of Paris have lost power. 

"Authorities are bracing themselves for a couple of more weeks of possible flooding. There's a lot a panic in Paris," Al Jazeera's Mohamed Vall reported from the city.

French environment officials said the Seine will reach its maximum level late on Friday as rainfall across the country begins to taper off.
The flooding has also forced many museums in the French capital, including the Louvre, to shut down, as a protective measure.