Three people have died in Spain as a result of the storm Filomena, which unleashed the heaviest snowfall on the Iberian peninsula in 50 years and brought Madrid to a standstill, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said on Saturday.
Two people lost their lives in the southern Mijas municipality, near Malaga, when their car was caught in a flash flood resulting from torrential rainfall, the minister told a briefing. Two others in the same car managed to escape with their lives.
Another victim, a 54-year-old man, was found in his snowed-in car near Madrid having died of an apparent heart failure before rescuers were able to reach him.
According to the minister, over 1,500 people had to be rescued from cars trapped in the snow since Friday. Madrid and nine surrounding regions have declared red — the highest — alert level. Madrid’s main transportation arteries have been paralyzed since Late on Friday while scores of flights and trains have been cancelled or delayed. Transport Minister Jose Luis Abalos said the situation would get worse in the coming hours and admitted that the snowfall was much stronger than predicted. Abalos said that workers have been clearing airport runways and railroad tracks round the clock.
Snow cover in some areas of Madrid and the region has already reached 60 centimeters. According to forecasts, snowfall will continue until Sunday.
