In an ironic twist of fate, the same Friday that the international conference of the French initiative to force peace talks on Israel was launched in Paris, floodwaters in the capital city reached peak levels in what has been declared as a natural disaster. The River Seine in Paris is set to reach six meters (19 feet) above its normal levels on Friday, causing the prestigious Louvre and Orsay museums to close as staff anxiously rushes to move famous artworks out of the flood path.

Heavy rains over the last week have caused massive flooding in the region and inflicted a heavy toll, leaving ten dead in southern Germany and one dead in France. Thousands of residents have been forced out of their homes to escape the flooding. The floodwaters are set to only rise further in Paris, as more heavy rain is predicted over the weekend with a possibility of upwards of 50 millimeters (2 inches) in just a few hours, reports BBC. FULL REPORT


Advertisement