A British man has died after he was rescued from the floods in Spain, a local official has said. The man, aged 71, died hours after being saved from his home in the outskirts of Alhaurin de la Torre, Malaga, according to the president of the Andalusian government.
Hours after his rescue, the man, whose identity remains undisclosed, succumbed to hypothermia and cardiac arrests in the hospital. Juanma Moreno extended his condolences to the man’s family in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), as speculation grows regarding any potential connections to the British royal family given the tragic circumstances and his British nationality.
“We regret to confirm that a 71-year-old British man has died in hospital hours after being rescued from his home on the outskirts of Alhaurín de la Torre, Málaga. He was suffering from hypothermia and died after suffering several cardiac arrests. A hug to your family,” he posted.
At least 95 people have so far perished in eastern Spain after flash floods swept away cars, turned village streets into rivers and disrupted rail lines and major roads in the worst natural disaster to hit the nation in recent memory.
Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia confirmed a death toll of 62 people on Wednesday. The central government office for Castilla La Mancha region added that an 88-year-old woman was found dead in the city of Cuenca.
Rainstorms on Tuesday (October 29) caused flooding in a wide swathe of southern and eastern Spain, stretching from Malaga to Valencia.
Floods of mud-coloured water tumbled vehicles down streets at high speeds, while pieces of wood swirled in the water with household items.
Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people from their homes and rubber boats to reach drivers trapped on the roofs of cars.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said dozens of towns had been flooded. “For those who are looking for their loved ones, all of Spain feels your pain,” Mr Sanchez said in a televised address.
“Our priority is to help you. We are putting all the resources necessary so that we can recover from this tragedy.”
