Get you up to speed: British man killed in Spain after extreme flooding swept car away | News World
A British man has died after his car was swept into a river during severe flooding in Olivella, a village around an hour’s drive south of Barcelona, Spain. His body was discovered approximately 500 metres from the vehicle after a search was initiated late Wednesday night.
The search operation for the British man involved 11 teams, including aquatic officers and drones, and began late on Wednesday night after a witness reported seeing him exit his vehicle. Flooding has disrupted transport across Catalunya, leading to the cancellation of at least 23 flights from Barcelona’s El Prat airport and significant delays on commuter railway lines.
Marta Verdejo, the mayoress of Olivella, confirmed the British national’s identity and described the incident as “an exceptional case”, urging the village to commemorate the victim with a minute’s silence. In response to the severe flooding affecting Catalunya, authorities have mobilised multiple emergency teams, including aquatic officers and drones, while the extreme weather has resulted in the cancellation of at least 23 flights at Barcelona’s El Prat airport and significant disruption to transport services across the region.
What remains unclear — The exact number of people displaced or requiring rescue due to the flooding in eastern Spain has not been disclosed.
British man dies in Spain as severe flooding sweeps car into river
A British man died after his grey Volvo was pulled into a river by severe flooding in a rural village near Barcelona, Spain (Picture: SOLARPIX.COM)
A British man has died after his car was swept into a river as it crossed a bridge during severe flooding in northeastern Spain.
Emergency services were alerted to reports a Volvo had fallen into the water just after 11pm on Wednesday.
The incident took place in Olivella, a tiny village in the province of Barcelona, near the Begues river.
Authorities said they had discovered a lifeless body of a man 500 metres from the drowned car at around 2.25am on Thursday.
The driver was confirmed to be a British national by town mayoress Marta Verdejo, La Vanguardia reported.
Ms Verdejo said the incident was ‘an exceptional case’ and called the village to observe a minute’s silence for the victim on Thursday.
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The recovered Volvo from the River Begues near the village of Olivella, where a minute of silence was observed for the driver (Picture: Solarpix)
Some 11 teams were involved in the search operation, including special aquatic officers and drones.
It comes as parts of Catalunya and Valencia were battered by extreme floods, disrupting transport links and public services.
In the coastal resort of Sitges a burst river left a campsite completely overrun with water.
Some 270 campers were evacuated to safe areas, with many choosing to return home following the incident according to local authorities.
Flooding also closed parts of major roads in both Barcelona and Girona, with the former’s primary beltway, the Ronda de Dalt, cut off in sections as clips showed water gushing through its tunnels.
Severe flooding disrupted transport across several parts of Catalunya, including on Barcelona’s Ronda de Dalt beltway (Picture: Solarpix)
The poor weather also necessitated the cancellation of at least 23 flights from Barcelona’s El Prat airport, with delays reported on most commuter railway lines.
Fire teams also responded flooding in the basement of three buildings of Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, where storms also caused the ceiling to collapse on a paediatric ward.
In Valencia, the airport was temporarily closed by flooding, with cars pictured submerged in roads converted into waterways.
Other towns reported torrential showers and even hailstones, with one resident uploading of picture of ice drops the size of one euro coins.
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