Two women died and two minors suffered minor injuries after a sudden landslide struck Manzaneda de Valdueza, in the El Bierzo region of León, on 15 August 2026. Torrential rain triggered a flash flood, sending earth and debris down the hillside and along Calle de la Iglesia into a bodega where six people had gathered.
The Policía Nacional said water and mud overwhelmed the building, killing the two adult women. The injured children received medical attention for minor wounds. Everyone at the scene was accounted for, and no one remained missing.
Multiple calls reached the 112 Operations Room at 19:38, prompting an emergency response. Firefighters from Ponferrada and the Policía Nacional were sent to the scene. The Policía Local de Ponferrada also responded, as did the Emergency Coordination Center and the GRIPDE unit. The Civil Protection Agency activated a rescue helicopter. Sacyl dispatched one basic-life-support ambulance and one advanced-life-support ambulance, along with medical staff from a local urgent-care facility.
A separate downpour in Bouzas, elsewhere in León province, swept away several vehicles. Spain’s State Meteorological Agency, AEMET, issues regional warnings for hazardous weather, including heavy rainfall. Recent storms and hail that prompted orange alerts in parts of northern and eastern Spain are covered in a previous report on escalating storm risks.
Firefighters and police responded alongside medical teams. The Civil Protection Agency also activated a rescue helicopter. The incident shows the danger when intense rainfall sends water and debris through a village, especially near buildings and streets in its path.
