Flash floods in Alcalá del Júcar, Spain drag 15 cars into a river
A sudden flash flood dragged 15 cars into the Jucar River, eastern Spain’ Albacete province on Wednesday, September 18, 2024.
Image credit: Liberta Digital
Heavy rains in the higher regions of Spain’s Albacete Province caused the Júcar River to overflow, leading to severe flash floods in Alcalá del Júcar on Wednesday. The floods dragged 15 cars into the river, but fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.
“It had been raining heavily for a while, but as soon as it stopped, the water started to flow down the ravine like a river, sweeping away the cars parked there,” said Juan Miguel Munera, head of Civil Protection in Alcalá del Júcar.
The vehicles were parked in the town’s ravine, and some were carried several meters above the river until they reached the edge of a dam. Visuals shared online showed large containers and several other objects flowing down with the flood waters.
The Castilla-La Mancha Emergency Service received the call at around 15:27 local time, sent Civil Protection personnel, and mobilized firefighters from Casas Ibáñez, and the Civil Guard to address the situation. A Yellow Alert was issued for Wednesday.
Early on Thursday, September 19, the underwater Emergency Unit of the Special Fire Prevention and Extinction Service (SEPEI) of the Albacete Provincial Council arrived in Alcalá del Júcar to extract the vehicles from the river.
“Two vehicles have been trapped in the riverbed, and we are now extracting them. They are in a rather complicated position because we have to use heavy machinery,” said Francisco Ovidio García Ríos, head of SEPEI and the Underwater Unit, on Thursday.
References:
1 Unos 15 coches son arrastrados por el agua tras desbordarse la cañada en Alcalá del Júcar – ABC – September 18, 2024
2 La riada de Alcalá del Júcar deja «importantes» daños materiales en la zona cercana al río – ABC – September 19, 2024
3 Una riada en Alcalá del Júcar, Albacete, arrastra 15 coches hasta el río – RTVE – September 19, 2024
Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.
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