The Spanish military evacuated residents from the Malaga village of Benaojan last night amid fears of landslides following weeks of consistent rainfall.
Around 20 homes were ordered to evacuate as Storm Leonardo continued to blast the Ronda region with heavy rain and strong winds.
As well as precautionary evacuations, emergency crews from the UME (Unidad Militar de Emergencias) carried out water-pumping operations in the town.
Just hours later on Friday, video footage emerged of a hillside visibly falling down near the Benaojan train station.
‘Significant landslide at the Benaojan station, Malaga, literally… the land is moving,’ the caption read.
UME deployed across the Serrania de Ronda
The UME arrived in Ronda on Wednesday and has since been operating across the Serrania de Ronda, using heavy machinery to reopen access routes and reach rural areas left isolated and cut off by flooding and ground movement.
In a separate incident linked to the same weather system, the UME also carried out an air evacuation of a resident in San Martin del Tesorillo (Cadiz).
Around 500 UME personnel are currently involved in the Andalucia operation.
Evacuations in Benaojan began on Thursday afternoon following the detection of slope instability, though authorities have confirmed that no injuries have been reported.
Emergency services remain on alert as saturated ground and further rainfall continue to pose risks across mountainous areas of southern Spain.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
