Two dead in flooding in Spain’s Catalonia region

Two individuals have lost their lives and another remains missing following heavy rains and flooding in Catalonia, Spain, according to authorities. Catalan leader Salvador Illa confirmed a man's death in Tordera, a town north of Barcelona, after a wall collapsed in a statement on social media. Another fatality occurred in Montornès del Vallès, where firefighters reported the incident on Sunday.

Emergency services are actively searching for a missing person in Pineda de Mar, a town 32 miles north of Barcelona. Catalan authorities issued a red alert, urging residents to remain indoors from 8 p.m. Saturday until 2 p.m. on Sunday due to the potential arrival of a "mini-hurricane" and further heavy rainfall. Homes were inundated and vehicles were submerged in Bellvitge and Cornella near Barcelona after intense rain on Saturday.

Waterlogged motorways in Barcelona saw ducks swimming in large puddles. Sarai Sarroca, director of the regional weather service Meteocat, reported on Saturday that the storm system's core was over the Mediterranean, and a mini-hurricane could move inland in Catalonia. Barcelona airport experienced flight cancellations and delays, while all local trains were disrupted.

Shops closed early, football matches were cancelled, and a performance of Verdi's Aida at Barcelona's Liceu opera house was halted.