by Maureen Cofflard
Agence France-Presse
SOCCIA, France (AFP)–Four people including a seven-year-old girl were killed Wednesday after being swept away by a flash flood in a canyon on the French island of Corsica.
The dead included a father and his young daughter as well as their guide, local prosecutor Eric Bouillard said. One of those killed was yet to be identified.
A fifth person was still missing while two others belonging to the same group — including the mother of the child who died — managed to escape, he added.
Bouillard said a group of 12 people had been hiking along the Zoicu canyon in the region of Soccia, famous for its natural ravines and waterfalls, when some members were overwhelmed by a sudden rush of water.
“When the group got into difficulty, it first lost two people, then two more,” he said. “This wave — we are talking about three metres (12 feet) high — overwhelmed them and carried them away.
The search for one missing person was called off late Wednesday as darkness fell in the region.
The flash flood is believed to have been caused by mountain storms, which have unleashed heavy rainfalls in recent days.
The Zoicu canyon is considered one of the most beautiful in Corsica but parts of it are only accessible with specialised canyoning equipment.