Malaga flood prevention pumps collapse and create lagoon in industrial area

Despite Malaga city council's and the regional government's efforts in recent years, industrial areas in the city keep suffering flooding issues when it rains. A prime example is the Guadalhorce area, where a large pool of water once again formed on Calle César Vallejo early on Wednesday morning.

According to the organisation representing businesses in the area, the flood has hindered the passage of vehicles and pedestrians at the access point to the commuter train station, "which numerous workers use on a daily basis".

The incident occurred because two water extraction pumps municipal water company Emasa has installed there to prevent floods failed. Technicians worked in the area to resolve the problem, but were unable to do so until after noon.

As a result, a large amount of water accumulated for several hours, creating a sort of lagoon in the middle of the industrial park, which also required the intervention of firefighters.

The Guadalhorce business park has stated that this situation is not an isolated incident "but rather the consequence of a long-standing problem related to the street's slope, which causes water to accumulate whenever there is significant rainfall". "Although Malaga city council has drawn up various projects over the years to correct this situation, a lack of funding has prevented any definitive intervention," the organisation said.

Business owners also criticise the fact that "the measures implemented so far have only partially contained the problem, without addressing its root cause". For this reason, they are demanding structural action to correct the uneven terrain and adequately improve drainage in this area.