State of disaster looms as floods devastate pilgrimage town of Lourdes

France plans to declare a state of disaster after floods claimed three lives and devastated the Christian pilgrimage site of Lourdes.

Fears that the town could be closed for months receded with the waters on Thursday, with church officials insisting its celebrated grotto would be accessible within days.

But other sites, including the underground basilica, face a lengthy clean-up operation after the Gave de Pau, the river that flows through the town, burst its banks for the second time in less than a year.

French President Francois Hollande pledged his support, declaring "the state is there" for Lourdes on a visit to the town where he met residents who had been flooded out.

Thousands of tourists have had to be evacuated from their inundated hotels and visits to the grotto, basilica and other religious sites have been suspended since Tuesday.

"As the water has begun to recede, we are discovering bit by bit the extent of the damage," said Mathias Terrier, a spokesman for the Lourdes sanctuaries, acknowledging that it could be months before some of them reopen.