Death toll from heavy rainfall rises to 10, with three people still missing

Civil defense and emergency officials on Sunday continued to search for more victims from Friday’s devastating floods, which swept through parts of southern Spain. The death toll as of Sunday was 10, with at least three more people reported missing.

Sudden downpours caused scores of mudslides and flash floods in Málaga, Almeria and Murcia, which were the provinces worst hit by the heavy rains brought in from tropical storm Nadine, which swept in from the Atlantic. The rains later moved northeast but with less intensity.

Hundreds of homes were damaged and several bridges were destroyed by the extreme conditions, authorities said. Residents on Sunday continued to pick through what was left of their properties.

Authorities searched for the three missing people in Vera, Almería and in Málaga’s Guadalhorce valley, where they reportedly disappeared.

In Archidona, Málaga, residents found the body of an 80-year-old man lying in mud about two kilometers from where he was thought to have been swept away by the water. In Puerto Lumbreras, Murcia, emergency crews also found the body of another man near marshland.

An 11-year-old in the same area recounted how he saw a man, Juan Asensio, jumping into raging waters to try to save his nine-year-old sister, only to be swept away with her.

The boy and his sister were being driven home by their grandfather from school but the flooding forced them to take a different route. The 11-year-old said he was able to save himself by holding on to a wire until help arrived. Asensio, the grandfather and the girl all died.

Another person identified among the victims was a 52-year-old British woman, Diana Dudas, who went missing on Thursday night in the town of Vera, Almeria. The downpours were the worst in 12 years, authorities said.

In Pulpí, Almeria, residents attended the funeral on Sunday of a couple, both aged 71, who were trapped in their vehicle when an avalanche of mud poured over them. In Puerto Lumbreras, a young boy and girl were also found drowned in a car.

A tornado that was spawned during a storm hit Gandia, Valencia, seriously injuring a 38-year-old man was swept up and thrown by the winds. A 44-year-old woman who was also injured by a flying palm tree that was uprooted by the tornado. The twister also knocked down a Ferris wheel at an amusement park.

Many areas of Málaga, Almeria and Murcia were without power and running water on Sunday. Residents in Villanueva del Rosario, a Málaga town with a population of about 3,500, formed lines to draw potable water from a supply truck.

“The five wells that supply the town with water are covered with mud,” said Socialist Mayor José Antonio González.

In Murcia, authorities lifted the emergency as hundreds of civil defense officials and rescue teams combed the areas, surveying the damage and cleaning up public and privately owned buildings that were damaged by the mudslides. Emergency crews also worked to restore electricity and running water in rural areas.

Many areas in Almeria were also reported to be without power and running water.

In Lorca, which was heavily damaged by an earthquake last year, authorities reported hauling away some 30 tons of mud and debris from the streets in the town’s historic center. Schools were also being cleaned up and would remain closed for at least another day.

Valencia officials said that classes would be also be suspended on Monday at some buildings at the University of Valencia, after the torrential rains flooded the basements.