The search for survivors continued Sunday in Rivière-Éternité, in Saguenay, flooded the day before by two torrential storms. Residents trapped by sunken streets continue to evacuate.
Two people, a man and a woman, were washed away on Saturday as they were outside their vehicles trying to clear debris from the road. The Eternity River came out of its bed and carried them away.
The specialized services of the Sûreté du Québec, which include a helicopter and a nautical team, are currently searching the banks of the said river in search of the victims.
Since the Éternité River flows into the Saguenay, it cannot be ruled out that research will continue there. The police had still not spotted any trace of the missing Sunday at the end of the day.
A third person, a man in his 40s, was rescued from the river and taken to hospital. He remains in critical condition.
Stuck in a campsite
Even if the water began to drop, after the rain which dumped more than 120 millimeters of water in an hour and a half on Saturday, evacuations resumed on Sunday. Nearly a hundred people stuck in a campsite – but safe – were visited by the police to establish their “personal needs” and establish an evacuation plan.
This began by helicopter at the end of the day on Sunday and all had to be relocated to the neighboring villages. The City of Saguenay was also involved.
“There are so many things to do that it becomes complicated,” observed Sergeant Hugues Beaulieu, of the Sûreté du Québec.
Convoys were organizing to evacuate citizens trapped in their homes after the main road collapsed.
The Municipality of Rivière-Éternité declared a state of emergency and recommended the evacuation of the 400 residents of the community.
Road washed away, ground under surveillance
The Saguenay is no stranger to landslides. Last year, dozens of citizens evacuated their homes in La Baie. Teams are working urgently on Sunday to check that the ground around Rivière-Éternité will not sag under the feet of citizens in the near future.
“Since the flood, we have always had inspectors with teams that work all year round to check our soils,” said the Duty the minister responsible for the region, Andrée Laforest.
His colleagues from the Ministry of Transport are already on site to ensure that the section of road washed away by the waters is reconstructed. “Considering the damage, a few days will be required,” said Minister Geneviève Guilbault.
A geotechnical team of @Transports_Qc will support the municipality. Our teams are already on site for the work on the R-170, but considering the damage, a few days will be required. My colleague @AndreeLaforest is also in the field today.
— Geneviève Guilbault (@GGuilbaultCAQ) July 2, 2023
The area is still without electricity, but the service station still provides gasoline to the victims.