Clear up under way along Costa del Sol after storm leaves debris strewn on beaches

Major clean-up efforts have started along the Costa del Sol after last week's 'Dana' weather event left dirt, rubbish and reeds piled up on beaches.

In Torremolinos, particularly by the beach of La Carihuela between the mouths of the Saltillo and Pinillo streams, mounds of build-up can be seen. Torremolinos town hall sent out workers with tractors and other machinery to collect the debris and clean up the area.

The council has sent details of the damage to the civil protection unit of the national government office in Malaga, including broken wooden or concrete walkways, the loss of some 42,000 cubic metres of sand between the Saltillo and Bajondillo areas, and unusable beach showers.

Work was also continuing on Monday by the water company to repair damage to the sewage network at the end of Calle Decano José Gómez Rando, at its junction with the promenade, where a stream channel was also impacted.

Government sources said that two aspects must be taken into account before funds are distributed. The first, is the response of the central government to help with repairs to public and private property following the heavy rainfall and the flooding of riverbeds and streams. The other, is the solutions required by affected beaches.

In the latter case, it is up to technicians of the national coasts department to determine the necessary steps. With damage still to be assessed and conversations between governments still to be had, there is no estimated date on when repair work will start.

In neighbouring Benalmádena, the passing of the storm is most visible on the beaches of Fuente de la Salud, between Puerto Marina and Torremolinos, and on the other side of the Malapesquera breakwater, on the urban beaches of Santa Ana and Melilleros, this one at the foot of El Bil Bil castle. Here, maintenance and cleaning teams share the space with beachgoers who have not stopped coming to the shore despite the mess.

In Rincón de la Victoria, town hall said workers were sent to beaches to collect reeds and other rubbish dragged through the area by flood waters. It also warned residents of the closure of a stretch of the town's coastal path between the El Palangre passage and the Santillán river bridge, in Torre de Benagalbón, following the impact of the 'Dana' storm.

Councillor for beaches Sergio Díaz said this stretch of the coast is where the most significant damage occurred and will cost about 180,000 euros to repair.

There are also footbridges and concrete foundations destroyed along the coast, the councillor pointed out. The area where the consequences of heavy rainfall and strong tides caused by the storm were felt the most was in the area around the Puerto del Rey dry dock and the Los Ruices nature trail.