Ribera was speaking from the town of Aldea del Fresno, southwest of Madrid, which was devastated by the flooding of the Alberche River.
A middle-aged man went missing there with his son when their car was dragged into the overflowing river on Sunday night after an avalanche caused by a sudden rush. The minor was found alive after spending the night clinging to a tree he had climbed, but rescuers were still searching for his father, emergency services said.
The other two missing people, in Toledo province, were a 54-year-old woman whose vehicle was swept away while driving along a flooded road and an 83-year-old man who was dragged into the strong currents near his home, police said.
Railway infrastructure manager Adif said high-speed rail traffic between Madrid and the southern region of Andalusia had resumed on Monday morning after overnight repairs to damage caused by the storm.
The train connection between Madrid and Toledo, 70km south, remained closed.
Rail operator Renfe said that 50,000 passengers had changed their train tickets free of charge since Sunday morning.
Source: CNA
