At least five dead after heavy storms cause severe damage in Spain
- Europe
- DPA
- Published Date: 08:02 | 04 September 2023
- Modified Date: 08:02 | 04 September 2023
Severe storms have left at least five people dead and caused widespread damage in Spain, local authorities said.
In the province of Toledo, south of Madrid, the bodies of three men were recovered on Monday, the government of the Castilla-La Mancha region said.
One of the victims died inside a vehicle and another was found dead in a garage lift. The body of a 50-year-old was recovered from a stream.
Over the weekend, two men aged 31 and 34 died after drowning in raging water while trying to climb a gorge in north-eastern Spain.
Meanwhile, a search was under way for a man who was travelling with his wife and two children in the Madrid region on Sunday evening.
Their vehicle was swept away by the waters of the Alberche river, which had burst its banks. The wife and daughter were able to save themselves while 10-year-old son was able to take refuge in a tree and was found there after several hours.
Besides the father, at least two further people were still missing on Monday.
Over the weekend Spain was hit by storms with raging winds, heavy rain, lightning and hail.
Flights were delayed and railway traffic was suspended, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at train stations in Madrid, Málaga and other cities.
Many roadways, streets and parks were closed, while countless houses and garages were flooded with water and mud. Parts of façades and roof tiles fell onto the streets and trees were uprooted.
In Catalan municipality of Alcanar, a total of 215 millimetres of rain was recorded on Sunday, according to the meteorological office, with the roughly 10,000 residents banned from leaving their homes for several hours due to dangerous flooding.
In Madrid, underground rail services and road traffic were still impacted by the storm's aftermath on Monday.