FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Two people are missing in Catalonia, in northeastern Spain, after torrential rains hit the region on Saturday afternoon, causing flash flooding in some areas and disrupting rail traffic for hours.
According to the meteorological agency Aemet, which had put most of Catalonia on red alert, more than 100 millimeters of water fell in some places in a few hours.
"We are searching for two people in Cuvellès," a community of 17,000 inhabitants, about 50 kilometers from Barcelona. According to initial information, they were swept away by the swollen waters of the (river) Fos, which flows into the Mediterranean, the source explained, noting that its teams are searching "the banks" as well as its "estuary," the fire department said via X.
The fire department's announcement came as torrential rains have been falling in northeastern Spain since yesterday afternoon, particularly in Catalonia, where authorities declared a red alert, sending warning messages to residents' mobile phones.
The rains caused flash floods that affected a hospital in Barcelona, which was forced to suspend new patient admissions after the power went out. At Barcelona airport, a plane that had just departed for the United States was forced to turn back after its nose was damaged by hail.
The storm forced Spanish railways (RENFE) to suspend high-speed, regional and suburban trains for hours across Catalonia. Emergency services treated more than 70 people, but none were in serious condition, they said. The red alert, which was issued around 5 p.m., was lifted around 7 p.m.
In addition to Catalonia, other areas of northern and eastern Spain were also hit by the rain, including Aragon, where a unit of the Military Emergency Response Unit (UME) was deployed, and Valencia.
The latter experienced tragedy in late October, when torrential rains left 227 dead. Authorities, particularly regional authorities, were heavily criticized at the time for their lack of preparation and response.
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