Floods cut off villages in Jaén province

One hundred people remain isolated in the village of Coto Rios in the Parque Natural de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas in Jaén province after heavy rains on Saturday, 201 litres in less thann twenty-four hours, cut their only access point, a bridge over the rio Guadalquivir.

In the village of Loma de María Ángela, another one hundred people have been trapped by the storms. These include fifty tourists and two pregnant women. One couple had to be rescued after they were unable to leave their home, the force of the water preventing them from opening the door.

This village does have a second access route but it was of no use as it was blocked by a landslide.

Around 400 people had to be evacuated from three campsites near Coto Rios where the water reached one metre high and swept away everything in its path. Tourists had to be transferred to local hotels.

Some 85 children are unable to attend the Coto Rios rural school today as the bus still cannot cross the access bridge.

Local residents are demanding an access route suitable for all types of vehicles in order to avoid such incidents when the rio Guadalquivir overflows. The Department of Environment has said it will assess the damage and will begin to act as soon as the area returns to normal.

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