Majorca Britons swept to deaths
Couple drown in taxi as flash floods hit holiday island
AN elderly British couple on holiday have drowned in flash floods that swept their taxi away in Majorca.
At least eight other people died after eight inches of rain fell in four hours and a river burst its banks.
Locals swam for their lives as a 13ft wall of water raced through Sant Llorenc des Cardassar – where TV’s Love Island is filmed – battering houses and sweeping cars away with people stuck inside.
The unnamed Britons – understood to be in their 70s – were found dead inside a taxi that had been driving through the area around 8pm on Tuesday. They were killed within hours of arriving on the island.
British consul Lloyd Milen said they had landed at Palma airport and were on the way to their hotel when the floods struck 40 miles east of the capital. Raging downpours saw a huge torrent of muddy water engulf Sant Llorenc des Cardassar.
Hundreds of locals and tourists were left trapped in homes submerged in up to a metre of water, while others clung to their balconies, rooftops, and even trees waiting to be rescued.
The Foreign Office said it was ‘urgently seeking updates’ as to the fate of any Britons stranded on the island, Spanish authorities yesterday
‘I swam through the torrent’
said the official death toll from the flooding was ten.
But they are continuing to search for a child – thought to be the brother of a youngster who was pulled alive from the wreckage of the family car.
Survivor Manuel Torrescusa told how he had to swim out of his car through a window to safety. He said: ‘I swam 500 metres through the torrent until I got to a house.’ He added: ‘I hardly had any clothes on me as they all got caught on a metal fence when I was swimming.’
Another survivor said: ‘The water reached about 13ft at one point and was piling cars up on top of each other. I had to swim to survive. I have seen cars go past me with people inside.’
Officials said the victims included a 71-year-old ex-mayor of a Majorca district and an OAP who died after becoming trapped in the basement of his home. Another victim is thought to be a van driver.
More than 100 emergency workers with sniffer dogs and 80 soldiers were deployed by the Spanish military to help with the search and rescue efforts.
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez visited the disaster zone yesterday and pledged his support for the victims’ families.
He said: ‘My solidarity and support goes out to the families and friends of victims and all those affected by these tragic floods.’
Power cuts across the area saw schools shut down, while around 100 people were forced to spend the night at a sports centre. The storm is the worst to hit Majorca for nearly three decades.
The Met Office said the Mediterranean was affected by a ‘very strong’ weather system that was drawing in hot, moist air.