FLASH floods have killed at least 16 people on the French riviera, President Francois Hollande said yesterday.

Thunderstorms dropped 6.7 inches of rain over the Cannes region on Saturday night — equivalent to two months’ rainfall in ordinary circumstances — leading the River Brague to overflow its banks.

Torrents of mud flooded roads and railways and seeped into buildings, disrupting rail and road travel.

Victims included those trapped in a retirement home, car parks and on a campsite. More than 27,000 homes were without power.

Hundreds of emergency workers were rushed to the region but the murky water hampered rescue efforts.

Mayor of Mandelieu-la-Napoule Henri Leroy said in one underground car park it was impossible to see submerged bodies.

“There are thousands of vehicles. There could be more,” he said.