Dead fireman, José Gil, was aged 47 and leaves two children

There were three days of official mourning this week in Antequera over the death of a firefighter from the town in last weekend's floods. José Gil, 47, was killed when the fire engine he was travelling in late on Saturday night lost its grip on a flooded road.

His two colleagues in the vehicle managed to escape, however, José, who was the first to attempt to leave, lost his footing, they said, and was swept away.

During the large operation to rescue people in the area in the heaviest rain on record, rescue workers and volunteers also looked for José throughout the night. At around 10am the next day his body was found some seven kilometres away, swept along by the torrent.

He was married and had two children.

The head of the local fire service in Antequera said that it was the first fatality at that particular station in its 16-year history and announced that the planned new fire station for the town will be named after José Gil.