Rain in Spain leaves two dead, two missing, people stuck on roofs

Two people died and two others were missing as torrential rains caused heavy flooding in central Spain on Sunday and early Monday, shutting roads, subway lines and high-speed train connections, authorities informed.

Helicopters were dispatched to rescue people who sought refuge on the roofs of their homes in the Toledo area some 50 km (31 miles) southwest of Madrid, emergency services said.

The sudden downpour transformed streets into rivers of mud that dragged cars and trash bins in Madrid, Castile-La Mancha, Catalonia and Valencia regions. Hail also fell in many areas.

Two people died in the rural area around the central city of Toledo, according to the police.

“It just kept raining and we were a little scared, but we were indoors so we were safe,” said Isabella Stewart, a U.S. missionary living in Toledo as she was taking a bus.

Another Toledo resident, Ruben Gonzalez, said: “I live four blocks away and it was very strong. Everything is flooded. This is crazy.”

In the Madrid region, emergency services tackled almost 1,200 incidents overnight and firefighters and police were searching for one man in the rural area of Aldea del Fresno, southwest of Madrid, the emergency services said.

The man went missing with his son when their car was dragged into the Alberche River after an avalanche caused by a sudden spate.

“The minor was rescued after he had climbed up a tree,” according to the Madrid emergency service.

An 84-year-old man was missing in the Villamanta area west of Madrid after he was dragged off by streams of water and mud.