COCKERMOUTH, England, Nov 21, (AFP) -A policeman died after being swept away by “biblical” floods in Britain's scenic Lake District, officials said Friday, as helicopters helped evacuate hundreds of stranded residents.
The policeman had been missing since Thursday in Workington in the tourist-friendly region of northwest England, hit by unprecedented rainfall which caused four bridges to collapse.
In Cockermouth, the town the worst hit by the floodwaters, helicopters winched people to safety and rescue boats negotiated streets turned into canals after rivers burst their banks.
Barker had been directing motorists away from a bridge in Workington when he disappeared.
Tony Cunningham, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Workington, told Sky News television that the flood was “of biblical proportions” and seen “once every 1,000 years.””The force of the river was absolutely incredible. This is a stone bridge, to wash away a bridge of that size and dimension is incredible,” he said. |
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