French mayor Rene Marratier jailed for role in deadly flood
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-30453552 Version 0 of 1. The former mayor of a French seaside town has been sentenced to jail for four years for ignoring flood risks before a storm that killed 29 people. Rene Marratier hid the risks to La Faute-sur-Mer to avoid putting off property developers, the court said. The storm Xynthia hit western Europe in early 2010. The storm knocked down seawalls in La Faute-sur-Mer, leading to severe flooding. Marratier called the verdict "unjust" and said he would appeal. On Friday, the court said that Marratier knew La Faute-sur-Mer, a west coast resort in the Pays de la Loire region, was at risk of flooding. However, he "deliberately hid" the risk so that he could benefit from the "cash-cow" of property development, the court added. Marratier's deputy was jailed for two years. Xynthia swept through Spain, Portugal and France in February 2010, killing at least 50 people in western Europe. |