Violent storms and flooding have hit south-eastern France, killing at least 17 people with four more missing, officials say, according to BBC News.

Three elderly people drowned when their retirement home near the city of Antibes was flooded. Others died trapped in their cars in tunnels and underground car parks as the waters rose.

French President Francois Hollande announced a state of "natural disaster" in the affected region. He thanked rescuers and expressed the "solidarity of the nation".

Heavy rain hit the French Riviera on Saturday, October 3 evening. The city of Nice is estimated to have received 10% of its average yearly rainfall in two days alone.

The river Brague burst its banks, sending water coursing into nearby towns and cities. Social media pictures showed water gushing down the streets of Cannes. The main motorway through the area has been closed, trains halted and hundreds of tourists sought shelter at Nice airport overnight. About 10,000 homes were still without power on Sunday evening, mainly in Cannes.

Some concertgoers attending a show by French rock veteran Johnny Hallyday at a venue in Nice had to sleep overnight there after becoming stranded.