FRENCH STORMS AND FLOODS KILL 15

FIFTEEN KILLED AS FLASH FLOODS
CAUSED BY TORRENTIAL RAIN HIT FRANCE

FRANCE (Reuters) - Flash floods caused by torrential rain killed 15 people and left 12 missing near France's Mediterranean coast, local officials said on Wednesday. Heavy rain caused rivers in the Var region east of Marseilles to rise by up to 8ft, forcing hundreds of people to seek safety on the roofs of their homes. Hundreds more were trapped in their floating vehicles as water flooded roads in towns and villages on Tuesday evening. “Draguignan was the worst-hit town, with hundreds of vehicles swept away and several neighborhoods under water,” the local prefect Hugues Parant told France Bleu Provence radio. He said the number of casualties could rise. More than 1,000 people found refuge in schools and other buildings after their homes were swamped. Helicopters flew over 450 rescue missions and some 100,000 households were without electricity.

Television pictures showed scores of stranded people packed on the raised terrace of one holiday camp, with surrounding land and low-lying buildings submerged under muddy water. Locals said people were surprised by the speed at which the waters rose, turning streets into torrents and carrying away cars as if they were toys. “It was dramatic,” said Draguignan mayor Max Piselli. “The town is in a terrible state, with rocks, stones, mud and cars blocking the roads.” The airport in Toulon, closed late on Tuesday because its runways were flooded, reopened on Wednesday morning. Train services along the coast were expected to return to normal on Thursday, railway officials said. Helicopters airlifted people to safety as more than 1,000 thousand emergency workers were drafted in for the rescue operations. This freak weather was the worst to hit the area for a decade.


Last February, another ferocious storm killed 53 people in southwestern France, so people are wondering why this happened again, is God angry with us?. The Vedas assert the sufferings of this world remind us that our hopes of be happy in this world are impossible fantasies. So, we should prepare to return back to the spiritual world, where happiness is awaiting us.

WHAT DO THE VEDIC TEACHINGS TELL US?

The Vedic texts give us a thorough philosophical understanding of the inherent goodness of God as our Supreme Father and the infallible benevolent nature of His jurisprudence. ... Two activities declared to be monstrously criminal in the cosmic penal system, but which are rampant in our society are animal slaughter and abortion. From God's viewpoint, these two activities are bestial; His more powerful children: humans - are ruthlessly and systematically slaughtering His weaker and helpless children: animals and infants. ... And if we wish to truly help our fellow citizens on this planet, humanitarian aid will not be enough. We have to offer spiritual aid by giving the enlightenment and empowerment that comes from God consciousness. That alone will equip them to protect themselves from both bad karma and its reactions.

Śrīpad Caitanya Caran das (BE E&TC) :
“When Nature Boomerangs”
“The Spiritual Scientist” - Vol. 3 Issue 1.
Bhaktivedanta Academy for Culture and Education (BACE), Pune
http://thespiritualscientist.com/