Two people missing, hospital flooded... Images of torrential rains in Catalonia

Catalonia under water. Northeastern Spain was hit by torrential rains this Saturday, July 12, particularly in Catalonia, where authorities issued a red alert and sent telephone messages to residents.

These heavy rains surprised many residents and tourists who came to enjoy the beaches of Barcelona.

The heavy rains caused flooding, including at a hospital in Barcelona, which had to refuse admission to new patients after suffering a power outage.

The bad weather forced the railway company Renfe to suspend train services for several hours across Catalonia, both for high-speed trains and for regional and suburban trains.

In the municipality of Suria, the Cardener River burst its banks and swept away at least three cars, according to images from local journalists.

Heavy rains have transformed the Cardener River into a powerful torrent, sweeping away several objects in its path.

Hail also fell very violently in the municipality of Castellón.

In Catalonia, more than 70 people were treated by emergency services, but none were in serious condition, according to the emergency services. The red alert, which had been triggered around 5 p.m., was lifted around 7 p.m.

Two people are missing in Catalonia, in northeastern Spain, after torrential rains.

"We are looking for two people in Cubelles," a town of 17,000 inhabitants located 50 kilometers from Barcelona, ​​the firefighters said in a message published in the evening on the social network X.

"According to initial reports, they were swept away by the flooding of the Foix River," which flows into the Mediterranean, they added, specifying that the search operation concerned "the banks" of the river as well as "its mouth." In this commune, a torrent of water completely flooded the city streets.

In addition to Catalonia, several regions in northern and eastern Spain were affected by the heavy rains, including Aragon, where soldiers from the Emergency Military Unit (UME) were deployed, and the Valencian Community.

This region was hit at the end of October by a tragic episode of torrential rains which left 227 dead . The authorities, particularly regional ones, were then criticized for their lack of preparation and responsiveness.