The cow Panga was swept away in the floods at Chambon-sur-Lignon, in the Haute-Loire region of France, but did not survive the violent flooding caused by the torrential rains. This tragic event, which occurred during the devastating floods that hit the region, moved many locals and Internet users alike

On Thursday October 17, 2024, the commune of Brives-Charensac found itself submerged in water, following intense rainfall. A video showing the cow Panga being swept away by the currents quickly went viral, symbolizing the scale of the natural disaster. Unfortunately, on October 19, the farmers of the Groupement agricole d’exploitation en commun du Nid, located in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, announced the sad news on Facebook: “We have found Panga”.

According to their account, the animal travelled several kilometers before being found in a meadow near Tence. Panga was part of a group of five cows trapped by the sudden rise in the waters of the Lignon. Four of them managed to take refuge on the riverbank, but Panga was not so lucky.

The owner, Étienne Valla, explained the circumstances in a video relayed by the newspaper Le Progrès. Faced with this exceptional flood, he described a scene where the water reached over 1.50 meters in the meadow where the animals were, carrying the cow away in a powerful current.

Panga’s story became a poignant reminder of the damage caused by this historic flood in the region.