The shrine, renowned for its association with apparitions of the Virgin Mary in 1858, experienced water levels rising up to one meter, inundating areas including the grotto where the Marian visions are believed to have occurred

The fire, which destroyed at least 300 hectares of land, was ignited near the A9 highway, a major route from Montpellier to the Spanish border. Jérôme Bonnafoux, a spokesperson for the regional firefighters, confirmed that the fire had been under control for two and a half hours as of early Monday morning

Situated in the southern suburb of Vitry-sur-Seine, the squat, housed in an abandoned bus company headquarters, had been a refuge for up to 450 individuals, many of whom were refugees, asylum seekers, or homeless

Days of relentless rainfall in northern France have unleashed a deluge of chaos, flooding local rivers and triggering a catastrophic situation that has forced the evacuation of residents and businesses, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake