Two people died when their car overturned as torrential rains and flooding hit southeastern Spain Thursday, sparking travel chaos and closing schools in a move affecting hundreds of thousands of children, officials said.

A 61-year-old man and his 51-year-old sister died when their vehicle was swept away as fast-moving waters swamped a road in Caudete, a municipality around 100 kilometres (60 miles) southwest of the city of Valencia, the emergency services said.

Officials had initially said the victims were a couple in their 70s but later corrected themselves.

In Albacete province, where Caudete is located, firefighters rescued 13 people who were trapped inside their cars or on the rooftops of their homes, the emergency services added.

The rain caused chaos on the roads, cutting public transport and prompting the Clariano river to burst its banks, flooding homes and causing the evacuation of surrounding areas, officials said.

Footage shared by the local AVAMET weather service showed cars being swept away in fast-flowing water in Moixent, and torrents of water engulfing the nearby town of Ontinyent, which borders the Clariano and saw its heaviest rainfall since records began in 1917, the agency said.

"Please maximise caution and avoid putting yourself in danger to take photos. Avoid driving," Ontinyent town hall warned on Twitter.

With the region on red alert, regional authorities in Valencia said they had ordered the closure of schools in 84 municipalities, affecting more than 255,000 pupils.

Local authorities in the neighbouring region of Murcia also ordered the closure of all schools on Thursday and Friday due to the heavy rain. A university was also closed.

Torrential rain and high winds were continuing to batter southern Valencia, northern Alicante and Murcia and would likely continue into Friday, the national AEMET weather service said.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Death toll of Morocco flood-hit bus rises to 17
Rabat (AFP) Sept 9, 2019
At least 17 people were killed in Morocco when flood waters overturned their bus in the kingdom's southeast, authorities said Monday. Rescuers have been searching for bodies since the accident Sunday, when the bus flipped on a bridge in a valley near the city of Errachidia, authorities said. They said a further 29 passengers, with various injuries but in "stable" condition, had been transferred to a hospital in Errachidia. Rescue workers were continuing their search, after six dead passenger ... read more