A MAN reported missing on Sunday during deadly flooding on the Costa del Sol has been found dead west of Malaga, bringing the regional death toll to three.
The victim, a 54-year-old café owner identified only as Antonio, was discovered in a thicket of reeds near the town of Cartama around 1pm on Monday.
More than 150 rescuers, including volunteers, had been combing the area since he was reported missing.
Antonio disappeared early on Sunday from the town of Alhaurin el Grande after attempting to wade across the swollen Fahala River on foot with his lifelong friend Juan Francisco.
Both men were swept away by the powerful current, and Juan Francisco also died in the incident. His body was recovered from the Fahala riverbed, not far from Cartama, on Sunday afternoon.
In a separate incident, a young man died in Illora, near Granada, after trying to cross a storm-swollen stream on his motorbike on Sunday, though his passenger managed to escape to safety.
The fatalities came as Cartama urged Spain’s government to declare it a “disaster zone” after Sunday’s floods damaged more than 80 properties and around 40 vehicles.
READ MORE: Search continues for missing man after deadly Costa del Sol floods
Officials held an emergency meeting on Monday to formally request that the municipality be classified as a Zona Gravemente Afectada por Inundaciones – a designation meaning ‘an area severely affected by flooding’, which replaces the former “disaster zone” status – in order to unlock central government aid.
Mayor Jorge Gallardo said such support is essential, particularly for families without private insurance who have “practically lost everything.”
The latest floods represent the third major inundation Cartama has suffered in less than a year, following severe storms in November 2024 and March 2025.
This time, much of the damage was concentrated in the urban area of La Estacion, where streets were ankle- to waist-deep in mud and water, homes, businesses, garages and vehicles were inundated, and some residents reported floodwaters nearly a metre high.
READ MORE: Deadly weekend storm claims second life as missing man’s body is found near Granada
Local crews, firefighters and civil protection teams continued clean-up efforts on Monday, urging residents to document all losses to seek compensation.
Municipal workers were evaluating damage to public infrastructure even as some roads remained difficult to navigate due to lingering mud and debris.
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