BOSCASTLE. Three people were missing early Tuesday after flash floods tore through a popular coastal tourist area in southwest England, sweeping dozens of cars into the sea and leaving hundreds feared trapped.

Three people were unaccounted for after what was described as a wall of water devastated the village of Boscastle, Cornwall, following a torrential rainstorm on Monday afternoon, Devon and Cornwall Police said.

I want to give an assurance we are doing all we can to substantiate those reports, because there is still an element of confusion with families being split, Superintendent Jon Wotton said.

Up to seven rescue helicopters had battled on Monday evening to rescue people in and around Boscastle after a river in the centre of the village burst its banks, sweeping cars towards the sea and destroying homes. According to Superintendent Wotton, around six buildings had collapsed due to the force of the water, and an estimated 50 cars had been swept away in the flood.

Thus far, no one has been confirmed as being injured in the flooding, which has hit one of Cornwall's most popular regions for visitors at the peak of its summer tourist season.

Dozens have already been plucked from the floods, some of whom were sheltering in trees to escape the deluge, a spokesman for the Royal Air Force (RAF) base co-ordinating the rescue said.

All the way down that river bank we are picking people out of trees, we are picking them off the bank and taking them out of cars. A lot of them managed to get away to high ground in the early stages but in the building up to (using) seven helicopters, we have to consider the possibility we may have many hundreds, up to theoretically 1,000 people who may need rescuing,

said Michael Mulford, from RAF Kinloss, which organises the RAF's search and rescue operations. It was unknown how many more remained stranded in the darkness, Mulford said.

Local member of parliament Paul Tyler described the situation as very dangerous, especially for people in isolated communities near Boscastle.

This is the biggest combined incident we have had in many, many years. I hope there has been no loss of life. These are very isolated hamlets -- even Boscastle itself has very isolated pockets,

Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott, in charge of the government while Prime Minister Tony Blair is holidaying in Italy, was heading to Cornwall to view the rescue operation, a spokeswoman for his office said Tuesday. The emergency was triggered by torrential rain which beat down on Cornwall early Monday afternoon. The rainfall only amounted to just over 50mm (two inches), but it fell in a particularly concentrated burst, Britain's Environment Agency said.

Other parts of north Cornwall were also affected, including the village of Tintagel, a particularly popular tourist destination due to its reputed status as the birthplace of the famous -- if largely legendary -- King Arthur. Wayne Grundy, a holidaymaker, told Sky News that he had seen parked cars being washed out to sea.

I actually saw a caravan and two cars washed over the top of a bridge. I have never seen anything like it he said. Another tourist recounted how fast the flood waters had risen. The water came up very, very quickly. At first it was just a couple of inches, then we were up to our knees, Julie Mason said. The wall of the car park went and we shot into a house and up the stairs. We were stuck there for a while, then we climbed out of the attic window which was part of the roof and were air-lifted off by the RAF.

Copyright 2004. AFP & WeatherOnline