Family 'devastated' by floods death in Spain

The family of a British expat who died in severe flash flooding in Spain have spoken of their devastation at her loss.

Diana Dudas, 52, was reported missing in the town of Vera, Almeria, last Friday after torrential rain hit eastern and southern Spain, leaving another 10 people dead.

Her body was discovered yesterday, four miles off the coast of Nijar, Almeria, a spokesman for emergency services in southern Spain's Andalusia region said.

In a statement released through the Foreign Office today, Mrs Dudas's family said: "We are devastated by the loss of Diana this week in Almeria, and appreciate the support we have received as we try to come to terms with what has happened.

"This an incredibly difficult time for us as a family and we need time to deal with our grief.

"We would therefore ask the media to respect our right to privacy and to leave us to grieve on our own."

Mrs Dudas, whose husband is Spanish, ran a hairdressing salon and a holistic therapy clinic and had taken a year out to write a book.

During the storms, three more people died in the province of Almeria, two died in Malaga and there were five victims in the province of Murcia.

A man who disappeared in Malaga and a German woman who went missing in Lorca, Murcia, have still not been accounted for, according to reports.

The heavy rain followed months of drought and soaring summer temperatures which helped trigger thousands of wildfires.

PA