EASTERN SPAIN FLOODS LEAVE FOUR PEOPLE DEAD

Authorities said at least four people died after heavy rain brought flooding to eastern Spain. Emergency workers recovered two bodies in Oliva on Monday: a woman at her home and a man who suffered a heart attack at a campsite. A man drowned while swimming off Sagunto, and a woman died after falling into a rain-swollen stream in Catalonia. Emergency services rescued more than 450 people stranded by rising water. The worst-affected areas were in Valencia and Alicante, on Spain’s Mediterranean coast.

Rescuers used helicopters and boats to reach people on rooftops, in flooded buildings and in vehicles. Soldiers from Spain’s military emergency response unit also helped evacuate residents whose homes had flooded. Videos released by Valencia’s regional meteorological agency showed water sweeping vehicles through streets in several towns. “Road travel is impossible, you must stay at home,” Juan Carlos Valderrama, Valencia’s emergency chief, said on Monday morning. Authorities imposed restrictions across several municipalities, though most have since been lifted.

Schools closed and some flights were cancelled or delayed in the Balearic Islands, including Mallorca and Ibiza. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said rescue operations continued in areas that were difficult to reach and urged people to avoid travel. He pledged government support for the response. The flooding comes almost two years after floods in the Valencia region killed more than 220 people. Spain’s national weather agency, Aemet, said on Friday that the previous month was mainland Spain’s hottest September on record.