THE body of a missing man has been found near Granada after storms and flash floods battered the Costa del Sol on Sunday, killing another man near Malaga and forcing hundreds to flee.
The victim, a young man from Zujaira near Granada, was reportedly swept away by fast-flowing water while attempting to cross the Cañada stream by motorbike with a passenger, who managed to scramble to safety.
Rescue teams recovered the man’s body at around 1am on Monday near Illora, approximately three kilometres downstream from where he was dragged into the torrent.
READ MORE: One dead and two missing as storm and floods rip through Costa del Sol
The tragedy follows the discovery of another man’s body on Sunday in Cartama, west of Malaga, just hours after he was reported missing.
Police believe the man and a companion, aged 53 and 54, had attempted to cross the swollen Fahala River on foot after realising they could no longer continue their journey by car.
Search efforts remain underway for the second man, who is still missing.
Andalucia’s southern coastline was battered by torrential rain and hail over the weekend, triggering severe flooding across the Costa del Sol and prompting the evacuation of hundreds of residents.
READ MORE: Heavy snow forces 12 roads to be closed in Spain
Emergency alerts were sent to residents in 27 municipalities on Sunday, urging them to move to higher ground.
The Guadalhorce River burst its banks after rising to a historic level of nearly six metres under relentless rainfall.
Floodwaters inundated more than 80 homes and businesses and damaged around 40 vehicles in Cartama.
Local resident Miguel Luque told MalagaHoy: “You hear the rain and hail falling and it feels like the world is about to end.”
Another resident, Juani Olmedo, lost his car in the flash floods but said he was grateful that the damage was only material.
“I have never seen so much water,” he added.
READ MORE: Coldest Christmas for 15 years predicted for the Costa Blanca with snow in some areas
Ahead of the storm, Spain’s state weather agency AEMET issued a red alert across the Costa del Sol, warning of rainfall of up to 120 litres per square metre in less than 12 hours.
The alert was later downgraded to orange and then yellow as conditions improved.
Click here to read more Weather News from The Olive Press.
