Driver drowned as river in Spain floods

Driver drowned as river in Spain floods

THE lifeless body of a driver has been found after it was washed from his car when it was caught up in floods when a river burst its banks in the Spanish region of Navarra.

Tafalla, a town with more than 10,000 inhabitants and only 35 kilometres from Pamplona, where the famous bull running fiestas of San Fermin are currently on, was completely cut off when the river Cidacos overflowed.

Firefighters found the body of the driver near Moriones, in the municipality of Ezprogui (Navarra), 14 kilometres from Sangüesa and 50 kilometres from Pamplona, after the intense rains that caused flooding in several towns in the region.

A major storm raged from early Monday afternoon. Between 6pm and 6.30pm 46 litres of rain per square metre fell.

As the river flooded Mercadona supermarket workers in Tafalla had to take refuge on the roof. They were then rescued by helicopter.

According to the Government of Navarra, at 5.40pm on Monday the river had a height of just 0.11 metres. By 10.30pm it had reached 3.71 metres. The force of the flood waters swept cars away and anything else that got in their way.

Nearby municipalities including Pueyo and Olite also had to evacuate residents due to the rising waters.

Tafalla opened public buildings to shelter evacuated people and those unable to return to their homes.

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