A body has been found during the search for two men who vanished during the red-level storm in Alhaurín el Grande on Saturday.
The discovery was made at around 5pm on Sunday, according to the town’s mayor, Anthony Bermudez, speaking at a press conference.
The victim was located near Venta Los Cabales, close to the boundary with the neighbouring municipality of Cartama, some three to four kilometres from the point where the men were last seen.
The two men, aged 53 and 54, described by officials as ‘friends of a lifetime’, disappeared during the intense storm that struck Malaga province late on Saturday, hitting the Guadalhorce Valley with particular force.
Mayor Bermudez explained that the incident occurred in the Las Lomas area, where the Fahala river runs through the town.
During Saturday’s storm, more than 135 litres of rain per square metre were recorded in the area. Normally a modest watercourse, the mayor described the Fahala as becoming ‘an uncontrollable torrent’ during heavy downpours.
What is known so far is that both men left a bar in the Camino de Málaga restaurant area at around 11pm on Saturday.
One of them was driving the other home to Las Lomas, on the outskirts of the town. Investigators believe they may have attempted to cross the river and were swept away by the current.
More than 100 local residents have taken part in the search as volunteers, alongside emergency services, police divers and a helicopter.
Search teams focused on the banks of the Fahala river, where at around 2.30pm on Sunday the men’s van was found.
The vehicle was discovered badly damaged but empty, around one and a half kilometres from the point where investigators believe they may have attempted to cross the river.
Some personal belongings believed to belong to the victims were also recovered during the afternoon.
As night fell, the search was suspended for safety reasons. It is due to resume at 8am on Monday, with additional reinforcements expected to arrive from outside the province.
