Two people are missing in Catalonia after torrential rains fell in northeastern Spain on Saturday evening, causing flooding and disrupting rail traffic for several hours, Agence France-Presse reported, quoted by BTA.
"We are searching for two people in Cubelles, a town of 17,000 inhabitants located 50 km from Barcelona, the local fire department said in a statement published on the social network "Ex" (X).
According to initial information, the people may have been swept away by the waters of the Foix River, which flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The fire service said the search operation included the banks of the river as well as its mouth.
Northeast Spain was hit by torrential rain on Saturday afternoon, especially in the Catalonia region, where authorities declared a red alert and warned residents via text messages on their mobile phones.
The torrential rain caused flooding, particularly affecting a hospital in Barcelona, which stopped accepting new patients after a power outage.
A plane taking off from Barcelona airport for the United States had to return to the runway after being damaged by hail, air traffic control said.
Due to the bad weather, rail operator "Renfe" (Renfe) stopped trains throughout Catalonia for several hours.