Seven people are missing in southeastern France, including two children of the same family, most of whom were swept away by rushing waters while trying to cross bridges by car over rivers that had overflowed after torrential rains.

A family of four, between them two children aged 4 and 13was swept away by torrents while attempting to cross a flooded bridge in Gardon a Dion, north of Nîmes, at around 11.30pm on Saturday, Frédéric Loiseau, secretary general of the region, announced during a press conference.

Authorities are currently looking for the father of the family and the two children. The mother, a 40-year-old woman who was also in the car, was found by the rescuers and taken to the hospital, he explained.

In Dion, today, a helicopter hovered above the village and the swollen waters of the Gar Riverwhich overflowed, while fire brigades were carrying out searches on the ground, with the help of drones and dogs, in order to locate the missing, AFP journalists found.

Shortly after 5am local time, rescue services were told by two car occupants that they were in difficulty before losing contact with them in Gudarges, Gar’s flat. About 30 firefighters, with the assistance of six rapid water rescuers, a drone and a Civil Security helicopter are searching for the missing.

According to the first data of the investigation, the vehicle was occupied by two women, aged 47 and 50, who were traveling to Spain.

A car driver, of Belgian nationality, has been missing since Saturday night, after he tried to cross a flooded bridge around 18.45 local time in Ganier (Gare) and while the road was closed by the municipality and a police officer had directly asked the driver not to pass the point.

In the neighboring Ardes department, a man has also been missing since last night in the village of Saint Martin de Valamas after heavy rains hit the area, with searches continuing today, according to the prefecture.

Gare and six other departments were placed on orange alert yesterday due to heavy rain linked to Storm Monica, which swept across a large part of south-east France.