SUNDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2020 07

Mexico deploys military to block migrant caravan Deadly storm barrels across France, Italy Two killed, 30 missing as drenching rain hits parts of France and Italy

Roughly 12,000 people• in three valleys Honduran migrants, part of a caravan heading to the US, rest on a sidewalk to the north of Nice in Entre Rios, Guatemala were without power KNOW WHAT AFP | Washington On the French side, rescue• efforts were A storm that moved exico ordered the mili- It has to do with overnight across Mtary to deploy along its the election in the also being hampered south-eastern France southern border to block a mi- United States. I after sections of and then northern grant caravan that President roads collapsed Andres Manuel Lopez Obra- don’t have all the Italy caused flooding dor suggested was linked to elements but I think on both sides of the the US election. there are indications AFP | Washington border, destroying Thousands of mostly Hon- that it was put bridges, blocking duran migrants were traveling together for this wo people died and 30 roads and isolating through Guatemala, heading purpose others were missing communities for the United States via Mex- yesterday after storms LOPEZ OBRADOR T A road damaged after heavy rains in Cuneo, Italy ico, just weeks before a tense lashed southern France and US presidential vote in which northern Italy, with roads and was killed after his car was brigade spokesman said. outcome of this episode,” he immigration is a key issue. bridges damaged or destroyed washed away in the river Sesia, “There must be one room left said, adding that the govern- “It seems very strange to us. be detained and deported. and thousands left without about 100 kilometres (60 miles) in my house,” said a 29-year-old ment had triggered its emer- It’s very strange that this car- Mexico will deploy hun - power. further east. woman named Jennyfer from gency plan for handling natural avan leaves on the eve of the dreds of military and immigra- Torrential rain of up to 50 Eight people were recorded Roquebilliere in the southern disasters. election in the United States,” tion personnel to its border to centimetres (20 inches) and missing around the French city Alps who returned to her chalet “The situation is catastrophic Lopez Obrador told reporters. prevent the caravan entering high winds crashed into the of Nice and 22 more in Italian near the Vesubie river yesterday in some communes,” regional “It has to do with the elec- the country, a senior govern- border area between the two border areas. after being evacuated the day lawmaker Eric Ciotti told AFP. tion in the United States. I ment official said. countries in the latest in a string Dozens of firefighters were before. Authorities in the southern don’t have all the elements but “They’re not going to cross,” of strong storms in recent years. trying to reach one Italian vil- “I lost everything but we are Alpes-Maritimes region had I think there are indications Francisco Garduno, the head Storm Alex barrelled into lage by train after the road was alive,” she said after discovering been placed on alert Friday and that it was put together for this of the Mexican migration au- France’s west coast on Thurs- shut. what remained of her accom- around 12,000 people in three purpose,” he added. thority, told reporters. day bringing powerful winds In France, the army and hun- modation owned by her em - valleys to the north of Nice were The migrants, mostly young Garduno said the migrants and rain across the country be- dreds of rescuers have been de- ployer, electricity company EDF. without power yesterday after- men, surged across the border must “respect the immigration fore moving into Italy, where ployed to search for the missing, noon. from Honduras into Guatema- law.” regions across the north suf- including using helicopters to ‘Catastrophic’ situation “We are thunderstruck. We la on Thursday despite restric- Lopez Obrador, however, fered an onslaught throughout bring aid and evacuate people French Prime Minister Jean saw the (river) Vesubie burst its tions linked to the coronavirus said that Mexico wanted to yesterday. where possible. Castex, who inspected the dam- banks -- everything was swept pandemic. avoid a confrontation with the Switzerland was also battered But rescue efforts have been age around Nice by helicopter, away, including part of the old Many were not wearing caravan. with record rainfall in some ar- hampered after sections of said there were eight people iron bridge,” Roquebilliere res- masks to protect against the In recent years, thousands eas and powerful gusts, forcing roads collapsed. officially designated missing but ident Serge Franco, a resident spread of infection. of Central American migrants the closure of roads and moun- “You can also see a few hous- a great many more who were of Roquebilliere, some 50 kilo- Some returned to their traveling in large groups have tains. es that are perched above the out of contact. metres (30 miles) north of Nice, country after the Guatemalan crossed into Mexico, with the A volunteer firefighter died in void because the riverbed has “I do not hide from you our told AFP as rescue helicopters government ordered them to aim of reaching the US border. Italy’s Aosta Valley and a man washed away the road,” a fire deep concern about the final hovered overhead.

Flood barrier successfully ’s Modi inaugurates Atal Tunnel protects Venice from high tide Agencies | New

ndia’s Prime Minister Naren- Idra Modi yesterday inaugu- rated the strategically impor- 9.02km tant, all-weather Atal Tunnel long Atal Tunnel is in that con- the longest highway nects Manali to the Lahaul-Spiti construction of its kind valley and reduces travel time in the world above 3,000 metres (10,000 to (in the Union Territory feet) of ) by up to five hours. He was accompanied by De- fence Minister , for years they were neglected,” Chief of Defence Staff ( CDS) he said, adding, “Nothing is General Bipin Rawat and Army more important to us than pro- Chief General MM Naravane, as tecting the country... the nation A general view of the flood barrier in Venice well as Himachal Chief Minister has seen an era when defence Jairam Thakur. interests were compromised.” AFP | Venice below the devastating the 187 Describing the moment as a Described as the longest high- cm tide that battered Venice “historic day” and one that her- way construction of its kind in long-delayed flood bar- last November, but enough to alded the realisation of former the world (above 10,000 feet), Arier system successfully leave low-lying areas deep un- Prime Minister Atal Bihari Va- the 9.02 km-long Atal Tun - protected Venice from a high der water. jpayee’s dream - the tunnel has nel is built to “ultra-modern tide for the first time yester- However, when the expect- been named after him - PM Modi specifications” at an altitude day, bringing big relief to the ed peak came shortly after said the tunnel would strength- India’s Prime Minister poses at the entrance of the Atal tunnel of 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) lagoon city after years of re- midday, the famed St. Marks en India’s border infrastructure. portant to Himachal, but also The Prime Minister cited a in the of peated inundations. Square, one of the first places “The Atal tunnel will give new because it facilitates a connec- number of projects, from the . “Today, everything is dry,” in Venice to flood, remained strength to India’s border in- tion to Ladakh. People who live tunnel to the air strip at Daulat It is a horse shoe-shaped, mayor Luigi Brugnaro said on largely dry. frastructure. It is an example of in the mountains would know Beg Oldi in Ladakh, and claimed single-tube, double lane tunnel Twitter. “Pride and joy.” The multi-billion-euro flood world-class border connectivity. the significance of cutting down they had been either delayed or with a roadway of eight metres The network of 78 bright defence system, known as There have been demands to travel time by four or five hours,” forgotten. He questioned the and has an overhead clearance yellow barriers that guard Mose, was due to come into improve border infrastructure the Prime Minister added. “compulsion” or “pressure” that of 5.525 metres, the Prime Min- the entrance to the delicate service in 2011, but the project but, for a long time, such pro- He also used the occasion to might have been beyond the ister’s Office said in a statement. Venetian lagoon lifted from the was plagued by corruption, jects either couldn’t get out of take several swipes at the Con- delays. The tunnel has been designed sea bed as the tide, driven by cost overruns and prolonged the planning stage or got stuck gress (although without naming “There was no political will. for traffic density of 3,000 cars strong winds and rain, started delays. midway,” the Prime Minister the opposition party), declaring I can talk about dozens of pro- and 1,500 trucks per day, each of to climb. It was finally tested in July said in his inauguration speech. that defence interests had been jects that are important from which can travel at a maximum City officials had forecast a and engineers deemed it was “This tunnel is not only im- compromised under its rule. the strategic point of view, but speed of 80 kmph. tide of 130 cm (4.27 ft), well ready to use in bad weather.