UPDATE - French Interior Minister Says Violent Storms Killed 6 In Corsica

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published August 19, 2022 | 01:40 AM

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 19th August, 2022) Six people died in Corsica overnight as violent storms battered the Mediterranean island, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Thursday.

"I express my support to all Corsicans who faced violent storms, with gusts of wind surpassing 200 km/h (124 mi/h). Three people are already dead and several are injured," he said on social media.

Later in the day, Darmanin told French broadcaster BFMTV that the death toll from the storms increased to six people, while the number of injured reached 20 people. According to Darmanin, four of them are in serious condition.

The minister said he would arrive in Corsica on Thursday and promised "significant resources" to the overseas French territory.

The winds snapped power lines, disrupted rail traffic and stranded or overturned boats.

The Corsican prefecture said a 13-year-old girl was killed by a tree that fell on a campsite and a 72-year-old woman was killed by gravel that was blown off a roof onto her car. About a dozen people were injured.

The authorities warn that the death toll could rise.

French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Twitter that she formed an inter-ministerial emergency group to monitor the situation in Corsica.