Severe flash floods, landslides kill dozens in Portugal

On Saturday, the Portuguese government announced that at least 25 people have died from severe weather on the island of Madeira in Portugal and a significant number of deaths are expected to rise, according to Newsolio. The number of persons missing is currently unknown. Mudslides and flash flooding have caused one of the worst natural disasters in the European nation in recent memory. Torrential rains have created high volumes of water that have flooded rivers and the shore line, while mudslides and flooding have engulfed homes and other property, reports the New Zealand Herald. The weather has cut electricity and phone lines in the popular European holiday maker, which is approximately 560 miles away from mainland Portugal. Radio Netherlands Worldwide reports that public officials are cautioning people to stay at home as the weather continues, which has struck the island for last several days. Interior Minister Rui Pereira said Lisbon could seek assistance from the European Union and added that a state of emergency has been declared, reports France 24. One witness and former BBC reporter in the capital city of Funchal told BBC News that the island has become a “ghost town” and the infrastructure has been destroyed and "decimated."