Flood's death toll rises to four in France: PM

Death toll in floods that hit Paris and central French cities rose to four with 24 others wounded, French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said Saturday.

"Sadly, we have four deaths and 24 injured at this stage," Valls said during a visit to crisis cell in the Interior Ministry.

According to local reports, a woman in her 60s which was reported missing for several days, was found dead at her home in Montagris, south Paris, late on Friday. The body of a three-year-old boy was discovered lifeless in L'Yonne, central France.

Two other victims were also reported in south Paris.

Torrential rainfall had triggered heavy flood which plunged parts of France's central regions and the capital city's vibrant venues into chaos.

Overnight, the Seine River reached its peak at 6.1 meters. It heavily disrupted traffic in Paris and suburbs and forced the closure of the country's iconic museums of Louvre and Orsay Museum, both standing on the banks of the Seine.

"The Seine is in receding slowly but at steady pace. However, the return to normal level will take several days," Valls said.

The river reached a record high of 8.6 metres in 1910, when thousands of Parisians had to flee flooded areas of the city.

The state of natural disaster is recognized in Ile de France ( Paris and its suburb) and central regions where 17,000 homes were still without electricity, according to France's national electricity distributor Enedis.

French weather agency Meteo France has put 13 regions, including the Ile-de-France, under orange alert and decided to maintain the alert system in these areas till Sunday morning based on risks of flood in these areas. Endit