One dead, two missing in southern Spain after flooding

MADRID - One person was found dead and two were missing after torrential rain caused flooding in southern Spain, said the authorities and rescue services on Dec 28, calling for extreme caution.

Spain has been exceptionally strongly affected by climate change in recent years, resulting in longer heatwaves and more frequent episodes of heavy rain.

Heavy flooding killed more than 230 people in October 2024,
mostly in the Valencia region in the east of the country, with the government at the time coming under heavy criticism for its handling of the catastrophe.

On Dec 28, videos posted on social media showed villages in southern Spain flooded overnight.

Emergency services were deployed for clean-up operations.

The body of the person who died was found in the Malaga region, where the Guardia Civil said it was still looking for one other person.

Another person was believed to have gone missing near Granada.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged the population to exercise “maximum vigilance” in a post on social media platform X.

The national weather service lowered its warning level from red to orange for the southern Andalusia region earlier on Dec 28.

But heavy downpours were still pounding the coast around Valencia, with the authorities warning of flash floods.

The neighbouring region of Murcia was also still hit by heavy rain. AFP