Spain Flood Kills Three, Injures Two Babies in Northwestern Village

A flash flood and landslide, triggered by torrential rain in rural northwestern Spain, killed three people and injured two babies.

The disaster struck the small village of Manzanedo de Valdueza. Emergency services of the Castile and Leon region confirmed the deaths of two women, approximately 60 and 80 years old respectively. Two babies were treated for bruises. A third person reported missing, a man in his 80s, was found unharmed. Firefighters, police, ambulances, and the Civil Guard were rushed to the scene.

Footage from a rescue helicopter showed the area surrounded by hilly, forested terrain. Local media published images of a grey mass of stones and mud that washed through the village and flattened a car. Marco Morala, mayor of the nearby town of Ponferrada, stated that fierce storms in the hills triggered a large flow of stones, mud and sludge, leading to the deaths.

The disaster also caused material damage in the neighboring village of Bouzas. The flood occurred during a public holiday, following weeks of extreme weather in Spain, including heatwaves and wildfires. The Leon province, which includes Manzanedo de Valdueza, suffered some of Spain's worst wildfires in 2025. On Sunday, Spain's Civil Protection service warned of storms and heavy rain in seven regions of central and northern Spain.