Cannes beach invaded by rats after floods that killed 20
The beach in Cannes has been invaded by rats forced out of the sewers after the recent deadly floods.
Dozens of rats have been seen on the beach in the usually chic French Riviera resort.
They are reportedly being pushed out of the sewers and seeking refuge at the beach, where they are also looking for food.
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According to The Local, one member of the clean-up operation told Nice Matin: "It's not that there are more rats than usual, the problem is that they have come above ground.
"Once the underground networks fill with water, the rats don't hold their breath: they go elsewhere in search of food."
The rats appear to be concentrated on the beach off the tourist hotspot area of the boulevard du Midi.
One German tourist told AFP: "Since the storms, the beach is dirty and we no longer feel safe walking on it at night. The sooner they fix it the better."
The death from the storms that hit the area last weekend has now reached 20, with British, Italian and Portuguese holidaymakers among those killed.
Cannes saw nearly two months of rain fall in just three hours and, according to the Daily Mail, Porsches, Ferraris and other luxury car were flipped onto their roofs and homes were caked in a thick layer of mud.
The Australian reports that the worst-hit town was Mandelieu-la-Napoule, where eight people died after being trapped in garages when they tried to remove their cars.
Mandelieu-la-Napoule Mayor Henri Leroy described the situation as "apocalyptic"
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