Walter Finch
THE ‘historic’ DANA storm that has spread destruction throughout the Spanish heartland has claimed a further grisly toll with the tragic deaths of two men – and more feared missing.
Authorities in Toledo discovered the lifeless body of a man inside a stranded car in the town of Bargas on Monday after a night of torrential rainfall.
The man, whose identity and age so far remains unknown, was discovered on kilometre 117 of the A-40 motorway at 8.16am.
Meanwhile, a young man in nearby Casarrubios del Monte suffered a tragic fate when he became trapped in an elevator due to a power outage caused by the storm.
Emergency services received a distress call shortly after midnight from a residential building on Arenal Street.
However, with the rainwater rushing in through the cracks in the elevator door and steadily rising, they were unable to reach the individual in time.
Firefighters retrieved the body from the malfunctioning elevator, but authorities are awaiting an autopsy before confirming the cause of death.
As the morning wears on, authorities are still actively searching for further missing individuals in Villamiel, a town in Toledo.
The relentless storm, dubbed DANA in Spain (which translates as Depression Isolated in High Levels), battered Castilla-La Mancha and other parts of Spain over the weekend.
Widespread flooding, road closures, and even the collapse of a bridge have left communities grappling with the aftermath of the onslaught.
President of Castilla-La Mancha, Emiliano García-Page, said that six regional roads are currently closed, and the town of Chozas de Canales in Toledo province is completely cut off from the outside world due to a collapsed bridge.
As many as 70 residents in Santa Cruz de Retamar were evacuated on Sunday following the overflow of the Alberche River. They have since been able to return to their homes.
There have been 1,893 incidents since a red warning was issued on Saturday, according to Local minister Juan Alfonso Ruiz Molina.
Fully 81% of these incidents were recorded in the province of Toledo, overwhelming the emergency hotline 112 with 22,000 calls.
Ruiz Molina highlighted the isolation of Chozas de Canales due to a collapsed bridge and the evacuation of 70 residents in the Calaberche urbanization of Santa Cruz de Retamar on Sunday, following the overflow of the Alberche River. Fortunately, the evacuated residents have been able to return to their homes.
Meanwhile, DANA claimed two more lives on Saturday after two hikers went missing exploring the Gorgol ravine in Tramacastilla de Tena, Huesca.
The 34-year-old and a 31-year-old got into trouble amid heavy rainfall and strong winds.
Their bodies were discovered in the ravine, near the Pyrenees, by Guardia Civil at around 2pm.
Authorities in Madrid and Valencia had previously taken the drastic measure of sending out emergency texts to the phone of each and every mobile phone in areas deemed to be most at risk.
In videos shared online, phones can be heard making a loud alarm sound as a message warning them of weather alerts in place flashes up on the screen.
In another terrifying video, passengers on a Madrid metro train filmed the moment that torrents of rain water started seeping in through the doors.
READ MORE:
- Rainfall ends 15-Month dry spell for La Viñuela reservoir in Spain’s Malaga
- WATCH: Moment emergency texts are sent to phones in Spain as streets are turned into rapids amid ‘extreme’ rainfall: La Liga clash cancelled while flights are delayed
- Two hikers ‘are killed by extreme weather in Spain’: Roads and parks are closed and trains cancelled as deadly DANA wreaks havoc nationwide
