#UPDATE at 15.50h on 22/9/25 – Emergency services have found a second body in the area of Alt Penedès following Sunday’s torrential rain. We will be updating this report.
Original report:
At least one person lost their life in Catalonia on Sunday after torrential downpours swept across much of the northeastern region, causing major disruption to both rail and air travel.
Late on Sunday night, Catalan emergency crews – searching for two people carried away by floodwaters in Sant Quintí de Mediona – discovered a body in the Bitlles River at Sant Pere de Riudebitlles, within the Alt Penedès area (northwest of Barcelona).
Shortly after midnight, Catalonia’s regional interior minister, Núria Parlon, confirmed the victim was a boy, reportedly aged between 11 and 12, one of the two individuals who had disappeared according to local media. She added that emergency teams were still attempting to locate an adult, believed to be the child’s father.
Firefighters had been conducting searches in Sant Quintí de Mediona after a car was dragged away by fast-moving floodwaters with two people inside.
Rescue operations continued through Sunday night and into Monday morning, with divers and a helicopter added to bolster the search.
Authorities reported that a normally dry stream swelled to more than three metres in height after the torrential downpour, powerful enough to carry the car from Mediona to Sant Quintí de Mediona.
Rainfall exceeded 100mm in various parts of Catalonia on Sunday. At Montserrat, hikers needed assistance as conditions worsened.
The emergency number ‘112’ logged close to 670 calls by 9pm on Sunday, all related to the severe weather.
Firefighters responded to nearly 400 incidents, ranging from flooding, landslides, stranded vehicles and collapsing walls to tree falls and rescues.
Most of the alerts concerned flooded homes and streets, stranded motorists, and road blockages – particularly in Gavà, l’Hospitalet and Sant Boi de Llobregat – as well as perimeter wall collapses, fallen branches, and dozens of landslides across the region.
The heavy rains also caused road closures, delays and flight cancellations at El Prat airport.
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🚨 La consellera d’@interiorcat, @nuriaparlon, confirma que el cos que han trobat a Sant Pere de Riudebitlles és el d’un menor d’edat
🚒 Els efectius d’emergències continuen buscant una altra persona, que seria el pare de la víctima i que conduia el vehicle pic.twitter.com/0mawKCGDyc
— RTVE Notícies (@rtvenoticies) September 21, 2025
Continuem fent recerca intensiva per sectors els primers 6km, des de l’últim punt d’albirament fins a Sant Pere de Riudebitlles, i recerca extensiva els 11km restants de la riera de Mediona fins el riu Anoia@mossos @semgencat
43 🚒 i 104 👨🚒#bomberscat https://t.co/hchQ8lyQSZ pic.twitter.com/v2TwuA5y2l
— Bombers (@bomberscat) September 22, 2025
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