At least four dead after flooding in eastern Spain

Flooding in eastern Spain leaves at least four dead and hundreds stranded.

The full report

At least four people have died in Spain as torrential rain has battered the country's eastern Mediterranean coast, according to DW News. The severe flooding has left more than 450 people stranded on rooftops, in buildings or in cars.

The worst-affected areas are in the Valencia and Alicante regions, on Spain's eastern Mediterranean coast. In the town of Oliva, two bodies were recovered on Monday, including a 79-year-old woman found at her home and a man who died from a heart attack at a campsite.

In Sagunto, a man drowned while swimming at the beach, while in Catalonia, a woman died after falling into a rain-swollen stream. Emergency services have rescued more than 450 people who were stranded by the rising water, with some being airlifted from rooftops, flooded buildings and vehicles, and others being brought to safety by boat.

The Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean, including Mallorca and Ibiza, were also affected, with schools closed and some flights cancelled or delayed. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said military emergency teams were assisting with the rescue efforts and pledged full government support.

The latest flooding comes almost two years after the Valencia region suffered a devastating flood disaster that killed more than 220 people. Al Jazeera English reported that the downpour from Storm Adam dumped as much as 700 litres of rain per square metre in 24 hours in some areas of the Valencia region.

Floodwaters have since isolated several towns along the Mediterranean coast, while rivers have burst their banks and streets have turned into torrents, leaving scenes reminiscent of the catastrophic flooding that killed more than 230 people in the Valencia region two years ago.

Security forces carried out more than 400 rescues in the Valencia region, according to government representative Pilar Bernabe. People stranded on rooftops have been winched to safety amid widespread evacuations, with more than 2,000 people being evacuated, mainly in Oliva.