Baby dead, around 30 injured after violent hailstorm in Spain
August 31, 2022, 2:15 pm

Baby dead, around 30 injured after violent hailstorm in Spain

According to Catalonia's meteorological agency SMC, Catalonia has not seen hail that size since 2002 - Photo. Pixabay

A 20-month old baby girl died after being hit by a massive hailstone during a fierce storm in the northeastern Spanish town of La Bisbal d’Empordà, officials said Wednesday (August 31).

Town mayor Carme Vall told Spanish National Television the baby was with her parents when she was hit by the ball of ice Tuesday. She died early Wednesday in hospital.

According to officials who spoke to Catalan broadcaster TV3, the little girl was struck in the head by large hailstones and died overnight.

Around 30 people were treated for injuries after the storm, and one woman remains in hospital after the violent storm Tuesday night.

The mayor said many cars and buildings were damaged by the hail. She said that the some of the hailstones measured up to 11 centimeters (4 inches) in diameter.

Video footage on Spanish media showed the hailstones bouncing like golf balls on cars in the street - Photo. Pixabay

"It just rained hail bombs in La Bisbal d'Emporda," wrote local resident and author Irene Mellado on Twitter." It has broken almost every car or motorcycle window; pierced through roofs, tables, chairs, broken lamposts and injured people... The sirens of ambulances, police cars and fire trucks are constant. Terrifying."

During the storm, hailstones larger than 10 centimeters (4 inches) poured from the sky. According to Catalonia's meteorological agency SMC, Catalonia has not seen hail that size since 2002.

Festival stage collapse in Spain kills one, injures dozens

Video footage on Spanish media showed the hailstones bouncing like golf balls on cars in the street.

More storms were expected in the region Wednesday. Heavy storms have been predicted for eastern Spain following severe heatwaves during the summer both on land and in the Mediterranean Sea.

levantnews-agencies

Queen Elizabeth to appoint new prime minister at Balmoral Castle Ukraine General Staff: Russia lost 350 soldiers, 20 tanks in one day

BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”