Search continues for 2 missing Quebec firefighters swept away during spring floods

The search continued Tuesday for two Quebec firefighters swept away in floodwaters northeast of Quebec City, as heavy rains washed out roads and cut off homes in several regions across the province.

The search continued Tuesday for two Quebec firefighters swept away in floodwaters northeast of Quebec City, as heavy rains washed out roads and cut off homes in several regions across the province.

Specialized aerial and ground rescue teams were looking for the two first responders, who went missing Monday afternoon while helping flooded residents in the community of St-Urbain, Que., in Quebec's Charlevoix region, provincial police Sgt. Beatrice Dorsainville said.

Environment Canada says Charlevoix received between 50 and 60 millimetres of rain between Sunday and Monday and was expected to get another 10 mm to 20 mm by Wednesday.

Public Security Minister Francois Bonnardel travelled to Baie-St-Paul, Que., a city under a state of emergency just south of St-Urbain, where he told reporters that the worst had likely passed but the situation would remain complicated for the coming days.

"We may have some precipitation, some rain for the next 24 to 48 hours, so we're still looking at and monitoring the level of the river," Bonnardel said Tuesday about the swollen Riviere du Gouffre, which tore apart roads in the region and left homes isolated.

Dorsainville said police divers, Canadian Coast Guard members and dozens of officers on the ground were looking for the missing firefighters.

The floodwaters from the Riviere du Gouffre sliced in half Route 138, the main road in the region, leaving residents stranded on either side.