A BICESTER man has described how he was trapped in an apartment block in Madeira as flood water and debris battered the building.

At least 42 people, including one British woman, have died in the floods and mudslides that followed a torrential downpour on the Portuguese holiday island on Saturday.

More than 120 people have also been injured by the powerful torrents, which swept away cars, trees and rocks.

Mark Costa, 30, had travelled with his parents Joao and Bemvinda, who are both from Madeira, to Funchal as part of the couple’s 40th wedding celebrations.

He had been on a two-week trip to Madeira and was staying on the fifth floor of an apartment block by a river.

Mr Costa said that on Saturday morning the river was about seven metres wide and up to three metres deep – but hours later the water levels rose further.

He said: “As the morning progressed the water was turning brown and it was increasing in height.

“I looked and thought, ‘that doesn’t look good at all’.

“It got even worse – water was escaping on to the side of road and hitting vehicles, and the vehicles struggled to drive on.

“Then there were no vehicles on the road and the road had almost become a river itself.

“Further on, one of the bridges across the river collapsed then blocked the river.

“That meant the only way water could go was to come down through a side road and down the road we were staying in.”

Electrical engineer Mr Costa, of Southwold, described seeing boulders being carried by the fast flowing water.

He said the noise was like the constant crashing of a bowling ball into pins, and added: “On Saturday afternoon the power cut off and we had no electricity and no running water.

“All through Saturday night we were asked to stay in the apartment. I didn’t sleep and nor did my parents.

“We were very isolated, alone and it was scary with the rushing noise of water.”

The next morning Mr Costa and his parents, who live in Buckingham, were moved to safer accommodation.

He said: “We looked outside and it was all transformed. The water had now gone and rocks and mud were left in its wake.”

Mr Costa said cars sank in the mud and his family’s hire car, which was parked underground, was submerged.

He continued: “If we made the decision to leave either by foot or car we could have been washed away or even buried in mud.”

The family are due to return home tomorrow.