Barcelona storm tragedy as man found dead after car swept away in raging floodwater

A man has died after a vehicle was swept away by floodwater in Olivella, Barcelona, during a night of torrential rain that triggered emergency alerts across Catalonia.

Emergency teams recovered the man’s body from a stream in the Garraf municipality during the early hours of Thursday, September 17, after a witness reported seeing a vehicle being carried away by the powerful current.

The incident initially prompted an urgent search for a woman who was believed to have been swept away after getting out of the vehicle.

However, after rescuers located the body, the Mossos d’Esquadra confirmed that the victim was the driver of the car.

Car swept away by powerful current

The emergency response began at around 11.03pm on Wednesday after a witness alerted the authorities that a vehicle had fallen into the water in a riera, or seasonal watercourse, in Olivella.

The force of the water had carried the vehicle away from the area where it had entered the stream.

The Bombers de la Generalitat deployed 11 units to the operation, including specialist underwater rescue personnel and drones.

Rescuers searched the watercourse and surrounding area for several hours in difficult conditions before locating the victim.

His body was eventually found approximately 500 metres from the point where the vehicle had been swept away. The car itself was described as having been severely damaged by the force of the water.

The initial information provided to emergency services had suggested that a person had been dragged away after attempting to leave the vehicle.

Joan Ramon Cabello, deputy director of Prevention at Catalonia’s Civil Protection service, said emergency services had received numerous calls during the storm, including one considered particularly significant involving a person being swept away while crossing a riera in Olivella.

Es-Alert warning issued across Catalonia

The tragedy happened as Catalonia was being hit by intense storms and torrential rainfall.

Protecció Civil issued an Es-Alert warning to mobile phones across several counties, including Barcelonès, Maresme, Baix Llobregat, Garraf, Vallès Occidental, Alt Penedès and Baix Penedès.

The warning was issued because of the risk of violent weather and torrential rain, with authorities urging people to take extreme care.

The Garraf area, where Olivella is located, was among the areas affected by particularly intense rainfall.

The storm caused widespread disruption across the Barcelona area, with flooding affecting roads, public transport and other infrastructure.

By around 11pm on Wednesday, the Bombers de la Generalitat had received 191 weather-related calls, with most involving flooding and water entering buildings.

Major disruption across Barcelona

The severe weather also caused significant disruption to transport.

Parts of Barcelona’s Metro network were affected by accumulated water, while Rodalies services experienced interruptions and delays.

The B-20 was closed at Santa Coloma de Gramenet because of flooding, while traffic was also affected on the C-58 between Ripollet and Barcelona and the C-33 between La Llagosta and Barcelona.

Flooding also affected parts of Barcelona’s electricity network, with thousands of customers temporarily losing their supply during the storm.

The weather caused problems at Barcelona-El Prat Airport and other transport infrastructure as heavy rain moved across the region.

Authorities had already activated the INUNCAT emergency plan because of the risk posed by intense rainfall and possible flooding.

Authorities urge caution

The incident in Olivella highlights the danger posed by rapidly rising water levels in rivers, streams and other flood-prone areas during intense storms.

Catalan authorities have urged residents to avoid flooded areas and to follow instructions issued by emergency services during severe weather.

The recovery operation in Olivella continued overnight before the victim was located in the early hours of Thursday.

The Mossos d’Esquadra subsequently confirmed that the deceased man was the driver of the vehicle involved in the incident.