Man dies in La Linea as torrential rain persists

A man died in La Linea yesterday during torrential rains that caused extensive flooding and damage in Gibraltar and the Campo de Gibraltar.

The man was an employee of a company working for Endesa and was travelling in a van when it was swept into a canal in the area of El Zabal. He was trapped in the vehicle and unable to get free.

La Linea will today declare three days of mourning, the town council said.

There were also reports of a woman dying in Estepona as a result of the storm, with many towns and cities on the Costa del Sol up to Málaga reporting extensive flooding.

The worst hit areas in the Campo were in La Linea and Los Barrios, which both reported heavy flooding.

In Los Barrios, three cars were crushed after a wall collapsed, although there were no reports of injuries.

Key roads including the A7 were cut off for several hours due to flooding yesterday, causing lengthy traffic logjams.

In Gibraltar, emergency services closed off Europe Advance Road and the Upper Rock nature reserve over fears of rockfalls.

There was localised flooding on several roads and some Main Street shops suffered heavy water ingress.

The heavy rains persisted through the night, prompting the Met Office to issue a severe weather warning.