A British couple have been tragically found dead following the catastrophic Spanish floods that have taken over 200 lives. The elderly pair were discovered in a remote area near Pedralba, a small town located a 45-minute drive north-west of Valencia on the east coast.
Mayor Andoni Leon confirmed the news yesterday, revealing that local volunteers had discovered their bodies, along with that of a Spanish man, during a town hall-led search for those still missing after Tuesday’s deadly floods. No external aid had arrived yet. This brings the total number of British nationals who have died in the flooding to three.
Last week, it was revealed that a 71-year-old Brit had died in hospital after being rescued by boat from his flooded home near Alhaurin de la Torre, close to Malaga in Spain. Regional president Juanma Moreno confirmed his nationality while visiting one of the areas near Malaga most severely hit by the floods.
The unnamed Brit was saved last Tuesday by firefighters after his partner alerted authorities due to him suffering an apparent heart attack and hypothermia. Initially, he was rushed to Guadalhorce Hospital and stabilised before being transferred to a hospital in Malaga where he sadly passed away in the early hours of Wednesday morning due to multiple organ failure.
(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
It is believed that the bodies of the British couple were found in the remnants of their home.
The announcement was made on Saturday, but it wasn’t until yesterday that the local mayor confirmed the nationalities of those involved. The Spaniard who lost his life has been identified locally as 44-year-old Francisco Quesada.
Ruth Rodriguez, his neighbour who discovered him after a search party involving family and friends commenced, became concerned when he vanished shortly after sending her footage of the swollen River Turia near his residence. She spoke to the media, revealing: “No-one from any of the security forces found him, it was us removing mud and debris.”
The mayor of Pedralba, Mr Leon, decried the lack of assistance, saying: “We haven’t received any help. Thanks to all the volunteers that are arriving we are becoming almost auto-sufficient.”
Nevertheless, members of the Military Emergencies Unit UME, part of the Spanish Armed Forces, arrived in the municipality, which is home to some 3,000 people, yesterday afternoon.
He noted that the town was still without potable water and that “one or two more people were still missing.”