Thirteen rescued as storm Adam floods Alicante motorway tunnel
Emergency crews rescued 13 people trapped in cars after a flooded AP-7 tunnel near Pilar de la Horadada, as storm Adam dumped heavy rain on Spain's Alicante region.
Emergency crews rescued 13 people trapped in their cars after the AP-7 motorway tunnel flooded in Pilar de la Horadada, in Alicante province, as storm Adam brought heavy rain to Spain's Valencia region, local officials said, according to La Vanguardia and 20minutos.
The storm dropped 50 litres of rain per square metre on Pilar de la Horadada from around 10.30pm, with Spain's weather agency Aemet having issued an orange alert, La Vanguardia reported. The rescued were taken to a municipal shelter and found to be in good condition, both outlets said.
In Alicante city and nearby Elche, more than 50 to 60 litres per square metre fell after midnight, flooding garages, disabling lifts and downing tree branches onto tram tracks, La Vanguardia reported. Alicante's fire service and local police carried out more than 50 interventions, mostly traffic cuts and water entering homes and businesses.
The mayor of Pilar de la Horadada said he would again ask that the AP-7 tunnel be closed whenever an orange alert is declared, to avoid risking lives, 20minutos reported.
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What we know
- 1 outlet · 20minutos Thirteen people were rescued from flooded cars in the AP-7 tunnel in Pilar de la Horadada, Alicante province, and taken to a municipal shelter in good condition.
- 1 outlet · Europa Press The storm dropped 50 litres per square metre of rain on Pilar de la Horadada, with an Aemet orange alert in place.
- 1 outlet · La Vanguardia More than 50-60 litres per square metre fell in Alicante city and Elche, flooding garages and disabling lifts.
- 1 outlet · La Vanguardia Alicante's fire service and police made over 50 interventions, mostly traffic cuts and flooded homes and businesses.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
Flash flooding that traps drivers inside a motorway tunnel is a recurring hazard on Spain's eastern coast during autumn storms, and local officials are now pushing for the AP-7 tunnel to be closed pre-emptively during future orange alerts.
Sources
Reported by 3 reports from 3 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Europa Press: Última hora de la DANA Adam, en directo: así evoluciona el temporal en España, alertas, lluvias y daños
- 20minutos: Trece personas rescatadas del túnel de la AP-7, en Pilar de la Horadada (Alicante), por una inundación
- La Vanguardia: La dana Adam se despide de Alicante con una intensa tormenta que inunda calles y túneles
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Questions and answers
- How many people were rescued?
- Thirteen people trapped in their vehicles were rescued from the flooded AP-7 tunnel in Pilar de la Horadada and taken to a municipal shelter in good condition.
- How much rain fell?
- Pilar de la Horadada received 50 litres per square metre; Alicante city and Elche saw more than 50-60 litres per square metre.
- What is being done to prevent a repeat?
- The mayor of Pilar de la Horadada said he will ask again for the AP-7 tunnel to be closed whenever an orange weather alert is declared.
This article was written with AI assistance from 3 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.