A British expat has died after deadly floods in Spain – which are feared to strike again tonight after already killing at least 95 people.
The flooding was mainly targeted in the regions of Valencia and Castilla-La Mancha in the east of the country, but now Andalusia has claimed its first victim.
The 71-year-old Brit died after being rescued from his home in Malaga, southern Spain. The regional government said he lived on the outskirts of Alhaurin de la Torre, to the west of the popular tourist destination.
His partner called the emergency services when he began showing symptoms of hypothermia. He then had a heart attack before dying of multiple organ failure.
At least five more people are in critical condition, according to Andalucia President Juanma Moreno.
Rainstorms that started on Tuesday and continued on Wednesday caused flooding across southern and eastern Spain.
Muddy torrents tumbled vehicles down streets at high speeds while debris and household items swirled in the water. Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people from their homes and rubber boats to reach drivers stranded atop cars.
Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia confirmed a death toll of 92 people on Wednesday. Another two casualties were reported in the neighbouring Castilla La Mancha region, while southern Andalusia reported one death.
Ricardo Gabaldón, the mayor of Utiel, said: “Yesterday was the worst day of my life. We were trapped like rats. Cars and trash containers were flowing down the streets. The water was rising to three metres.”
There are now fears that Spain might be in for a second night of flooding as the southern region has been handed more severe weather warnings.
People in Andalucia were sent red weather warnings to their phones, marking the first time the region’s emergency alert system has ever been used.
The weather agency Aemet has predicted more than 120mm of rain per square metre in the worst-affected areas. The alert is in place until midnight tonight.