Flood alert as ski resorts cut off
Storms force Ryanair jet to make emergency landing after stewardesses hurt as plane hits turbulence
ALTHOUGH the orange avalanche alert was eased in the Pyrenees there are still five departments on flood alert as stormy rains and heavy snows all but cut off high-lying parts of the region.
The majority of ski stations are closed due to blocked roads and crews are working to get access open again by the end of this morning.
A convoy of supplies has also been organised to get food to skiers stranded at La Mongie – where they have been cut off for six days.
Stormy weather also forced a Ryanair plane flying from Barcelona-Reus in Spain to Brussels-Charleroi in Belgium to make an emergency landing at Bordeaux-Merignac on Wednesday evening.
It had been rocked by violent turbulence over the Pyrenees and hit a large pocket of dead air. Two stewardesses were hurt when the plane suddenly lost height.
One broke an ankle when hit by the food trolley and the other hurt her back when thrown into the roof of the plane. They were taken to Pellegrin hospital in Bordeaux. None of the 165 passengers was injured.
Comment faire du sport malgré la fermeture des TS #lamongie #grandtourmalet #ApocalypseSnowNPY pic.twitter.com/BdZe3Oc6Iy— Eole (@eole3533) February 25, 2015
This morning most communications have also been cut off in the high mountains due to a fault in mobile phone antennae on the Pic du Midi. Repair crews from telecoms company Orange could not get access as the mountain’s cable car has been out of action all week.
Heavy rains in Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Hautes-Pyrénées, Haute-Garonne, Ariège and Landes have seen the departments put on flood alert with several main roads closed already in Landes. The Gaves de Pau and d'Oloron rivers have also burst their banks at Peyrehorade, Landes.
