The search for two missing people continues Monday after a town in Quebec’s SaguenayтАУLac-Saint-Jean region┬аwas hit by flooding and landslides over the weekend.┬а
The town of┬аRivi├иre-├Йternit├й,┬аabout 260 kilometres northeast of Quebec City, has been in a state of emergency since Saturday.
Relatives confirmed to Radio-Canada that one of those┬аmissing┬аis Pascale Racine, who lives in Quebec City. The woman in her 40s was travelling in the region with her husband, who survived┬аbut had to be hospitalized with serious injuries.
The S├╗ret├й du Qu├йbec┬а(SQ) is still looking for Racine and another man in his 40s who were swept away by the landslide.┬аDivers, all-terrain vehicles and helicopters are assisting in the search.
About 200┬аcampers┬аwere evacuated from a nearby provincial park on Sunday afternoon, via shuttle and helicopter.
No new evacuations were necessary as of Monday, said the mayor of Rivi├иre-├Йternit├й, R├йmi Gagn├й. He said 47 people, including six children, still cannot return home.┬а
Emergency crews have to check the state of the town’s septic tanks and basements before allowing residents to come back. The town does also not currently have access to safe┬аdrinking water.
Route 170 will remain closed for an undetermined amount of time, Gagn├й said. Meanwhile, safety crews are working to open a detour route for emergency vehicles only, which should be open by the end of Tuesday.┬а
“I┬аam with you wholeheartedly,” said┬аGagn├й┬аat a news conference Monday. “All our decisions are to ensure everyone’s safety.”┬а
SQ spokesperson Hugues Beaulieu said there is a lot of work to be done to restore the town’s roads, which are damaged and full of debris.┬а
He said the river’s tides swelled up to four times its typical height during heavy rainfall over the weekend, causing it to overflow and flood the town.┬а
