Two women, aged 60 and 80, were killed on Saturday when a flash flood and landslide swept through villages near Ponferrada in the province of León, northwestern Spain. The Meruelo river burst its banks following a severe storm, sending a torrent of water, mud and debris into Manzanedo de Valdueza and the neighbouring hamlet of Bouzas.
Two infants suffered bruising in the floodwaters. An elderly man initially reported missing was later found unharmed. In Bouzas, several vehicles were swept away without further casualties.
The mayor of Ponferrada said the storms unleashed a sudden surge of stones, mud and sludge from the surrounding hills. Firefighters, police, ambulance crews and the Civil Guard took part in rescue operations, while the emergency coordination centre deployed a rescue helicopter. The road to Peñalba de Santiago was closed by the flooding.