Swollen rivers flood streets in Spain leaving at least one person dead
12 December 2021, 12:54
The River Ebro has burst its banks, bringing flooding to parts of northern Spain.
Swollen rivers that have burst their banks in north and north-eastern Spain have been blamed for the death of at least one person.
Emergency services said they retrieved the body of a 61-year-old man from inside the cab of his submerged van in a river in the Navarre region.
The man was reported missing on Friday and his vehicle was spotted the following day, but the fast-flowing river made a rescue operation impossible, officials said.
The combination of a heavy storm that lasted several days and thawing snow brought a surge in the River Ebro and its tributaries, Spanish meteorological services said.
The Ebro’s flow rate doubled between Friday and Sunday, surpassing the rate that in 2015 caused widespread flooding in the region, authorities said.
The flooding has cut off numerous roads and flooded streets, notably in the medieval city of Tudela, which is located in the Ebro Valley about 250km (155 miles) north of Madrid.
