Jospin faces anger over floods

Jospin says he cannot divert the Seine

ABBEVILLE, France -- Residents of a French town have accused French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin of being responsible for flooding that has inundated parts of France.

People living in the Picardie area lost patience after a week of the heaviest rain since the 1920s left 1,500 houses flooded and 680 people in temporary accommodation

The residents accuse the authorities of diverting floodwaters from the Paris basin to preserve the capital's bid to hold the 2008 Olympic Games.

Jospin, who rushed to the northern part of the country after returning from a trip to Brazil, was told to resign as he waded through the flooded streets on Monday.

The International Olympic Committee visited Paris in late March when the Seine flowing through the capital had flooded a few low-lying streets and stopped river traffic.

Jospin denied the allegations, saying the cause of the flooding was "the exceptional rainfall". "Who do you imagine has the possibility, in Paris, to decide to flood a region?"

Jospin pointed out to the crowds that the Somme River, which overflowed its banks last week to flood Abbeville, was not physically connected to the Seine.

Closing Paris's floodgates to divert the water would therefore not have helped, he said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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