PARIS – Around 20 people have drowned while swimming in unsupervised areas in France since the weekend, authorities said on June 23, as people tried to escape a heatwave sweeping across large parts of Europe.
Much of France was set to experience temperatures around 40 deg C on June 23, forecaster MeteoFrance said.
“There have been around 20 deaths since last weekend,” French sports minister Marina Ferrari told France Inter radio.
“To go swimming in unauthorised areas, during a heatwave, is not something to take lightly,” she added. REUTERS
