Heavy rainfall triggers flash floods in Spain, see pictures

At least three people died and three were missing as record rainfall caused heavy flooding in central Spain, shutting roads, subway lines and high-speed train connections, authorities said on Monday. Helicopters were sent to rescue people, who had sought refuge on the roofs of their homes in the Toledo area some 50 km (31 miles) southwest of Madrid, emergency services said. The sudden downpour on Sunday and early Monday transformed streets into rivers of mud that swept away cars and trash bins in Madrid, Catalonia, Castile-La Mancha and Valencia regions. Hail also fell in many areas. Several roads in the Madrid region were closed as half a dozen bridges were torn down by water overflowing the riverbanks. The defence ministry said it had deployed army engineers to build a so-called Bailey bridge, a type of portable truss bridge, in Aldea del Fresno to connect the banks after the original bridge was swept away. Several subway lines were closed in central Madrid early on Monday, though the service was re-established in most of the city during the morning, subway operator Metro de Madrid said in a statement. Some high-speed connections between Madrid and the southern region of Andalusia have resumed, but trains were operating at lower-than-normal speeds.