Flash floods in Spain’s Mallorca kill 9, many missing
Two British nationals among the dead as cars are swept away by raging, muddy waters in the Spanish island.
Published On 10 Oct 2018
At least nine people have been killed and several others are missing after torrential rain lashed the Spanish island of Mallorca.
Footage broadcast on Spanish television on Wednesday showed cars being swept away by raging, muddy waters, houses flooded and vehicles piled one on top of the other after the Mediterranean island was pounded with heavy rain over just a few hours.
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The downpours triggered major flash floods, which hurtled through streets in the eastern parts of the island.
A spokesperson for the Spanish government’s office in the Balearic Islands told AFP news agency that nine people died in the floods.
Two of those killed were in Sant Llorenc, one in Arta and two more in S’Illot. The latter were two British tourists who were in a taxi which was swept away by flood water. The driver is still missing.
One of the fatalities is reported to be the ex-major of Arta, Rafael Gili.
🔴#URGENT #AMPLIACIÓ Sant Llorenç ara mateix. El torrent s'ha desbordat per complet. Els bombers dels parcs d'Artà, Llucmajor, Felanitx i Alcúdia s'han desplaçat al lloc alertats per les greus inundacions. Més informació: https://t.co/1fJyNvCwqb pic.twitter.com/vNCZiL5md5
— IB3 Notícies (@IB3noticies) October 9, 2018
The emergency services say their current priority is searching for those missing.
At least 220 millimetres of rain are believed to have fallen in the region, flooding homes, roads and fields. Dozens of cars were destroyed after being swept away by flood water.
Hundreds of people spent the night in emergency shelters and schools remain closed on Wednesday.
The damage is expected to run to the millions of dollars.
La situació és crítica ara mateix. L'112 demana que ningú s'apropi a Sant Llorenç. Els veïnats no tenen llum i els telèfons mòbils no funcionen https://t.co/1fJyNvCwqb pic.twitter.com/twrUXK9Cbh
— IB3 Notícies (@IB3noticies) October 9, 2018
The torrential rain also brought flooding to the city of Barcelona on the Spanish mainland.
The trigger of the severe weather was an intense area of low pressure, which also brought flooding to the city of Barcelona on the Spanish mainland.
The thunderstorms are still circulating in the region and further torrential rain is expected on Wednesday and Thursday, with southern France and northwest Italy being most at risk of flooding.
Source: Al Jazeera, News Agencies