Floods kill at least two in southern Spain

Heavy rain and severe flooding in southern Spain have killed at least two people on Sunday, local police have confirmed.

A worker for Spanish electric utility company Endesa was swept away by flood as he attempted to carry out repair work in an industrial area in the town of La Linea in the southwestern part of the country on Sunday night.

On Sunday morning, a woman was drowned in the basement of a club in the coastal town of Estepona.

Floods triggered by heavy rainfall in La Linea have forced the closure of schools and colleges throughout the region on Monday. The water is at a depth of more than one meter in some parts of the town.

Rising water has also cut off roads in the region, where rescue services have received hundreds of calls to deal with flooded streets, houses, basements and garages.

A total of 750 calls were received in Malaga alone on Sunday as the area experienced torrential rain. The province issued a red alert and the Malaga metro was closed for some time in the morning to avoid flooding risks.

Monday has seen flood warnings extended to Valencia, where the Spanish state metrological agency has predicted heavy rain over the coming 24 hours.

Further north, the provinces of Girona and Tarragona are also on alert over heavy rainfall. Endit