A sudden flash flood on the Spanish island of Majorca has claimed at least ten lives, among them a British couple and a Dutch tourist. The deluge struck the eastern town of Sant Llorenç des Cardassar after a river burst its banks, sweeping away vehicles and inundating streets.
The victims include six Spanish nationals, the British couple travelling in a taxi, the Dutch tourist, and one unidentified person. The taxi driver also died. A five-year-old boy remains missing after his mother managed to save his eight-year-old sister but could not reach him. Rescue teams with sniffer dogs are scouring the area.
One survivor, Manuel Torrescusa, told local media he climbed out of his car window and swam 500 metres through the torrent to reach safety. The Spanish meteorological agency, Aemet, reported that more than 20cm of rain fell in just a few hours, describing the event as a once-in-80-years occurrence.
Further north in Artà, a bridge collapsed, killing a former mayor. Emergency shelters were set up in a sports centre for displaced residents. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez visited the affected area on Wednesday, and the Spanish parliament observed a minute's silence.
The UK Foreign Office said it was urgently seeking updates from Spanish authorities. Other parts of Spain, including Catalonia and Málaga, also experienced severe flooding from the same weather system.
