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British man dies after being rescued from floods in Spain, official says

He died hours after being rescued from his home on the outskirts of Alhaurin de la Torre, Malaga, the president of the Andalusian government has said.

Pol Allingham
Wednesday 30 October 2024 17:54 EDT
A car submerged in muddy water in Malaga, Spain (AP Photo/Gregorio Marrero)
A car submerged in muddy water in Malaga, Spain (AP Photo/Gregorio Marrero) (AP)

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A 71-year-old British man has died after he was rescued from the floods in Spain, a local official has said.

He died hours after being rescued from his home in the outskirts of Alhaurin de la Torre, Malaga, the president of the Andalusian government said on Wednesday.

Juanma Moreno added that the man, who has not been named, died in hospital after suffering hypothermia and cardiac arrests.

He paid respects to the Briton’s family in the statement on X, formerly Twitter.

At least 95 people have died in eastern Spain after flash floods swept away cars, turned village streets into rivers and disrupted rail lines and major roads in the worst natural disaster to hit the nation in recent memory.

Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia confirmed a death toll of 62 people on Wednesday.

The central government office for Castilla La Mancha region added that an 88-year-old woman was found dead in the city of Cuenca.

Rainstorms on Tuesday caused flooding in a wide swathe of southern and eastern Spain, stretching from Malaga to Valencia.

Floods of mud-coloured water tumbled vehicles down streets at high speeds, while pieces of wood swirled in the water with household items.

Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people from their homes and rubber boats to reach drivers trapped on the roofs of cars.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said dozens of towns had been flooded.

“For those who are looking for their loved ones, all of Spain feels your pain,” Mr Sanchez said in a televised address.

“Our priority is to help you. We are putting all the resources necessary so that we can recover from this tragedy.”

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