Storms kill 3 in southeast Spain

Severe storms accompanied by heavy rain killed three people in the south east of Spain and another person is still missing, rescue services confirmed Tuesday.

A 61-year-old man in the coastal town of Polopos in the province of Granada drowned when his car was swept out to sea by flood waters, while a second victim, 51, was killed in a ravine close.

The death toll rose to three on Tuesday when the body of a 60-year-old man was discovered by Civil Guards on a beach in Castell de Ferro, Granada. He, too, was killed by the floods, they confirmed.

The number of dead could rise to four in the coming hours as rescue services are still searching for a fourth person who disappeared in the downpour.

Images on Spanish television gave a glimpse of the devastation the storms caused. Reporters showed the streets of several small towns in the provinces of Granada and Almeria literally turn into torrents, sweeping cars and even heavy vehicles away with the power of the water.

Dry river beds which had not seen water in months were suddenly filled, water rising dramatically as the ground failed to absorb the falling water.

The storms lashed regions of Valencia, Murcia and the southeast of Andalusia, where over 300 different incidents were reported in the provinces of Malaga, Almeria, Granada and Jaen, causing damage to property and also to crops.

Meanwhile, 13 flights into Malaga airport had to be diverted as a result of the rain, while four trains between Andalusia and Madrid were re-routed as a result of the conditions.

Source: XINHUA