20 swept to death in torrent of water

Press, 3 July 1979, Page 8

20 swept to death in torrent of water

NZPA-Reuter Valdepenas (Spain) Children and grandparents were swept to their deaths in a torrent of water, mud, and boulders when a seven-hour storm lashed the southern Spanish town of Valdepenas on Sunday. As the waters began to recede on Sunday night 20 people were known to have died in the worst flash floods to hit Valdepenas in more than 100 years. Officials fear more victims are buried under the rubble.

Floods tore up buildings, destroying more than 100 homes as the waters ruse to almost 2.5 metres.

Eyewitnesses said the town was strewn with drowned pets, overturned cars, and furniture broken up as floods swept through homes. Farmers said 1500 cattle grazing outside the town had drowned in the town’s worst, floods since 1877. Police and Air Force helicopters have joined firemen and residents in their efforts to clear up the devastated town. Two Government Ministers are on their way from Madrid to direct recovery work. The Mayor of the town (Mr Esteban Lopez Vega) said in a radio interview: “We don’t know what we wall find when we search through the rubble in the morning. But we certainly expect there will be more bodies.”

The police said that all the victims foimd so far v are local people aged between two and 70.

Valdepenas, with a population of 25,000, lies at the tip of La Mancha Plain and is famed for its light table wine.