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Quebec provincial police say they are searching for two firefighters who are missing in a river in a city northeast of Quebec City that is being hit hard by spring flooding.
A spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) told CTV News that the firefighters were trying to help residents who were stuck in their house in Saint-Urbain, in Quebec's Charlevoix region, when the pair was swept away by a strong current. Police confirmed Monday evening that the occupants of the home were airlifted to safety, but the whereabouts of the firefighters were still unknown.
Video posted on Facebook from people living in the region showed what appeared to be a trailer being swept down a river before crashing into a bridge as bystanders looked on.
Two helicopters were dispatched to the scene where the fire crew went missing as other emergency crews are also on the ground trying to assist other residents affected by flooding. A local campground was particularly hard-hit and two daycares were also evacuated.
Environment Canada told The Canadian Press that as of 2 p.m. Monday, 50 to 60 mm of rain fell in the Charlevoix region in the past 24 hours, adding to the melting snow in the areas around the rivers in the area.
A portion of Highway 138, which is the main connector in that area, is closed north of Baie-Saint-Paul. Some residential roads were washed out as hundreds of people also lost electricity early Monday evening. There's also a major water leak, so many many residents are without drinking water or are under a boil-water advisory.
Access to the area was difficult, particularly because the river had burst its banks.
Residents in Baie-Saint-Paul were told to stay home or call 911 if their homes need to be evacuated. An emergency shelter was set up in the Luc-et-Marie-Claude Arena, but was later closed. A new one was set up at the Saint-Aubin educational centre, the city confirmed in a message on Facebook.
The City of Baie-St-Paul, also along the Rivière du Gouffre, declared a state of emergency Monday afternoon.
The city says it's asking people to stay in their homes and to call 911 if they need to evacuate.
The Public Security Department says flooding and landslides caused by heavy rains have closed roads in the Lanaudiere, Laurentians and Outaouais regions.
Some streets in Saint-Calixte were also flooded Monday, leaving multiple homes surrounded by water.
Premier François Legault said in a tweet that he is monitoring the situation closely with Public Safety Minister François Bonnardel, who is scheduled to visit the area Tuesday with Infrastructure Minister Jonatan Julien and Kariane Bourassa, the CAQ MNA for Charlevoix-Côte-de-Beaupré.
With files from CTV News Montreal's Kelly Greig and The Canadian Press
