Woman killed in Málaga province after being swept away by current

A 50-year-old woman was killed on Tuesday night after being swept away when she was trying to cross the River Seco in the municipality of Vélez-Málaga in Málaga province, according to sources from the fire service.

At the time of the incident it was not raining in the area but the river was flowing fast

The area had seen 71.6 millimeters of rainfall, the highest amount registered in all of Spain on Tuesday, according to early data from the AEMET state meteorology department.

The woman was accompanied by a man when she tried to cross the river, and he raised the alarm with the emergency services. The body was located by a National Police officer who had begun to search the river along with firemen near Bentomiz, several kilometers away from where the victim had attempted the crossing.

Sources from Vélez-Málaga council stated that the National Police have opened an investigation to try to clear up the causes of the woman’s death. At the time of the incident it was not raining in the area but the river was flowing fast given the rainfall seen throughout the day.

On October 21, a fireman lost his life after the truck he was driving overturned between the municipalities of Campillos and Teba, in the north of the province, due to the heavy rains and flooding in the area.

Earlier this month, heavy rainfall caused flash floods on the Balearic Island of Mallorca, killing seven Spaniards, three Germans, two Britons and one Dutch. A six-year-old boy and his mother were among the Spanish victims.

English version by Simon Hunter.