News February, 22nd 2010 by Simon Schönbeck

Rescued by helicopter

Seven people in Alhaurin de la Torre and Cartama had to be rescued by helicopter after their homes were flooded when the Guadalhorce River broke its banks. Several more people in the area were rescued in pneumatic boats. According to Alhaurin de la Torre town hall, the families had been told earlier to leave their homes because of the danger of flooding. The houses are built illegally and are too close to the river which rose to as much as five metres.

Also in Alhaurin, several horses and other animals drowned at an equestrian centre where the water level was so high that rescue teams could not access them. In other areas throughout Malaga several animals were rescued. In the town itself, the floor at the fairground collapsed leaving a 10-metre hole, mainly due to the poor state of repair of the pipes underneath. The area has been cordoned off and could take some 600,000 euros to repair.

The rains have inundated roads, homes, garages and schools throughout the province and many of the reservoirs have had to be drained of some of their water to prevent them from causing damage.

The rain has been practically non-stop these past days in what is the wettest winter in Malaga since 1997. In Alhaurin de la Torre, 215 litres per square metre fell in just 24 hours.

In Marbella, Estepona and Manilva, three schools had to be evacuated and the streets were running like rivers, with cars being washed away, sometimes with their occupants inside. Heavy rains caused a wall to collapse near the Barcelo Hotel in San Pedro Alcantara, and some roads in the area had to be closed, diverting traffic to the motorway and causing considerable tailbacks. The roads which had to be closed were the A-7176 in Istan, the A-355 between Marbella and Coin, and the A-397 between San Pedro and Ronda.

Meanwhile, nearer Malaga city, the Guadalhorce Industrial Estate was flooded and the A-7057 in Cartama, the A-7054 in Pizarra, and the A-368 in Mijas had to be closed to traffic. At the wholesale market, Mercamalaga, several cars had to be towed away after the water rose so much they were trapped in the area.