The sanctuary of Lourdes (Hautes-Pyrénées) was partially flooded, causing the closure of the grotto, due to severe weather affecting the Hautes-Pyrénées and Pyrénées-Atlantiques since Friday evening and where the water level began to recede on Saturday afternoon.
Located a few meters from the Gave de Pau, a waterway crossing the city, the grotto of the sanctuary of Lourdes was flooded last night around 2:00 a.m., according to David Torchala, director of communications for the sanctuary.
“The water rose very quickly last night”he said, adding:that there were no injuries” or emergency intervention.
The Chapel of Lights on the sanctuary was also flooded during the night and the damage cannot be said for the time being.not yet estimated“.
The rest of the sanctuary is still open to the public, however, and pilgrims are present at the site, while the celebrations planned at the cave have been moved.
“The water is going down at the moment” added the sanctuary’s communications director.
Across the department, firefighters in the Hautes-Pyrénées told AFP:have a lot of flooding“Saturday morning. About 500 people are without electricity.
The Aragnouet-Bielsan tunnel, linking France to Spain, “will remain closed to traffic for an indefinite period” because of a “landslide“on the Spanish side,” the prefecture specifies.
In the neighbouring department of Pyrénées-Atlantiques, more than 300 residents of the Aspe valley were still without electricity” in the middle of the afternoon, according to a press release from the prefecture.
