Majorca floods: British couple killed identified as two elderly tourists as death toll rises to 10

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Jacob Jarvis11 October 2018

A British couple in their 70s are among those who have been killed in Majorca after a flash flood hit the tourist destination.

Anthony Green, 77, and his 75-year-old wife Delia have been named locally.

They were reportedly being driven in a taxi to a hotel in Cala Bona when the car was hit by a torrent of water which swept it away.

Rescue workers in Spain are said to have found the car submerged and on its side at the mouth of the torrent in S'Illot at 2am on Wednesday.

Thunder raged over Majorca as the floods struck the area
EPA

The pair were found dead by divers inside the cab while the taxi’s driver, Juan Sillero, was discovered dead nearby, Spanish newspaper Diario de Mallorca stated.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are supporting the family of two British people following their deaths in Spain, and will do all we can to assist them at this deeply difficult time.

"Our staff remain in contact with the Spanish authorities who are responsible for responding to the floods, and are ready to assist any other British people who require our help.”

Authorities on the popular tourist island have said 10 people, three of them foreigners, died after torrential rain deluged the region.

Streets were buried in mud as cars were swept away by water in the floods
EPA

A search is ongoing for a five-year-old boy who has been missing since disaster struck on Tuesday.

The main area affected was around the town of Sant Llorenc, about 40 miles east of the capital, Palma.

Some parts of the island received up to nine inches, 23cm, of rainfall in a matter of hours on Tuesday evening.

Floodwaters tore down trees, buried streets under mud and swept vehicles away, while witnesses said they had minutes to find safety as the water levels rose.

According to Diario de Mallorca, the bodies of an 81-year-old man and 83-year-old woman were among the first to be found on Tuesday.

Rafel Gili Sastre, 71, a former municipal mayor, was later found dead at his home, the paper said.

Authorities said 80 soldiers and seven vehicles from the military's emergency unit had joined more than 100 rescuers deployed in the area on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called news of the flooding "devastating" as he visited the area.

He said: "My solidarity and support goes out to the families and friends of victims and all the affected by these tragic floods.”

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