Two Britons swept to their deaths by ‘devastating’ flash floods in Majorca
At least 10 people have died on the holiday island as torrential rain left locals swimming for their lives
TWO British tourists were killed within hours of arriving on the holiday island of Majorca when their taxi was swept away by floodwaters that were described as “biblical”.
At least 10 people died when torrential rainstorms deluged the town of Sant Llorenç, about 40 miles east of the capital, Palma, on Tuesday evening.
Lloyd Milen, the British Consul for the Balearic Islands and Catalonia, said the couple had just landed in Palma and were travelling from the airport to their hotel when the floods hit.
Antonia Bauza, the deputy mayor of the town, confirmed to Cadena SER radio that two others killed in the area were locals. An elderly woman’s body was found in her the basement of her house.
The Foreign Office said it was “urgently seeking updates” from its Spanish counterparts about the fate of any British people who were stranded in the area.
Rafael Nadal, the two-time Wimbledon champion who lives six miles from the affected area, opened up his sports academy in Manacor for those washed out of their homes and businesses by the deluge.
The Nadal Academy called it a “sad day for Majorca” and extended its “deepest condolences” to the families of those killed.
The British couple were found dead inside a taxi that had been driving through the town of Sant Llorenç des Cardassar at 8pm on Tuesday when a nearby river burst its banks and the vehicle was swept away.
The taxi driver, who had been working for a cab firm called Radio Taxi Cala Mill, is among at least eight people missing after 7in (18cm) of rain fell in a two-hour spell overnight.
Locals told how they had to swim for their lives after a wall of water smashed into their homes, while others watched helplessly as cars with people still inside were washed away.
A spokesman for the emergency services said: “The British victims were travelling in a taxi that was swept away by flash floods.
“Their bodies were found inside the vehicle.”
She could not say what their ages were or where they were travelling to or from, adding: “This information forms part of an ongoing investigation. Our work now is focused on searching for those people who remain missing.”
Witnesses said a dry creek had overflowed, creating a strong current of water and mud that buried cars and tore down trees.
“It all happened in less than 10 minutes,” a witness told Spanish television. “We had to swim to try to survive.”
The Spanish authorities said 80 soldiers and seven vehicles from the military’s emergency unit had joined more than 100 rescuers who had been working in the area overnight.
At least three towns closed schools and hundreds of people were given shelter in sports facilities.
The flooding also affected telephone communications and forced the closure of at least seven major roads.
Some parts of the island received up to 9in (23cm) of rainfall in around four hours on Tuesday evening.
Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, described the flooding as “devastating”.
‘The British victims were travelling in a taxi that was swept away by flash floods. Their bodies were found inside the vehicle’