Flooding forces evacuation of hundreds in Spain (Roundup)

Dec 7, 2010, 14:41 GMT

Seville, Spain - Heavy rains Tuesday sparked widespread flooding in southern Spain, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people from their homes, local officials said.

The heaviest flooding was reported in Ecija, a municipality of 40,000 residents near Seville, where an estimated 1,000 homes and a hospital were evacuated.

More than 150 soldiers helped firefighters and volunteers to assist Ecija residents after the river Genil and its tributary Argamasilla overflowed their banks. No injuries were reported.

Dozens of people were evacuated also in other localities mainly in Seville and Cordoba provinces. They included Palma del Rio, where about 50 houses were evacuated. Several families staying at a rural house in a nature park were left isolated near Ciudad Real.

Road and rail traffic suffered interruptions in the region.

In neighbouring Portugal, rains uprooted trees and damaged roofs and traffic signs in the southern Beja region. Floodwater inundated buildings and roads, without causing serious damage, according to officials.

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