France Rescue helicopter crashed while on duty in a flood zone near the city of Marseille, killing three people on board.

French Interior Minister Barshe Castaner said the EC145 helicopter lost radio and radar communications while on a rescue mission and monitored floods in the Var region on the night of December 1. Helicopter corpses and three bodies were discovered earlier this morning near the town of Rove.

"While France was preparing to commemorate the 13 soldiers who died in Mali, our country lost three heroes who sacrificed their lives to protect the French," the Minister Castaner's statement said.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident.

The Var and Alpes-Maritimes regions are on a red alert for flooding after days of heavy rain disrupting traffic. Last week, 6 people in Var died from floods, many cultural and sporting events were also suspended due to bad weather.

Earlier, 13 soldiers from the French counter-terrorist Barkhane were killed when two helicopters collided during a campaign in northern Mali on November 25. The self-proclaimed Islamic State Organization in West Africa (ISWAP) announced the downing of the helicopter three days later, but the French denied it.