In the greatest natural disaster to strike the European country in recent memory, flash floods in eastern Spain have destroyed cars, turned hamlet streets into rivers, and interfered with highways and train connections, killing at least 64 people.
On Wednesday, emergency officials in Valencia’s eastern district announced that 62 people had died. In the nearby Castilla La Mancha region, two more fatalities were reported.
A large area of southern and eastern Spain, extending from Malaga to Valencia, was inundated Tuesday due to rainstorms. Floods the color of mud sent cars hurtling down roadways at high speeds, while wood fragments swirled in the water with household objects. People were lifted from their homes by police and rescue personnel using helicopters, while rubber boats were utilized to reach drivers trapped on the roof of cars.
Pedro Sánchez, the prime minister of Spain, declared that the threat was not over and that dozens of cities had been inundated.
In a televised speech, Sánchez stated, “Everyone in Spain understands your suffering if you are searching for your loved ones.” “Helping you is our top focus. We are investing every resource required to help us move past this tragedy.
Late Tuesday, authorities reported a number of missing persons, but the horrifying news of scores of individuals found dead arrived the next morning.
The mayor of the Valencian municipality of Utiel, Ricardo Gabaldón, told national radio RTVE that yesterday was the worst day of his life. He claimed that a number of people in his town were still unaccounted for.
Late Tuesday, authorities reported a number of missing persons, but the horrifying news of scores of individuals found dead arrived the next morning.”Like rats, we were stuck. The streets were lined with cars and garbage cans. He said, “The water was rising to 3 meters (9.8 feet).”
Spain’s emergency response teams sent more than 1,000 soldiers to the areas that had been damaged. Rescue crews from other regions of Spain were also racing eastward. A crisis committee was established by Spain’s central government to assist in organizing rescue operations.
With three troops riding alongside them in the massive shovel, a military team used a bulldozer to rescue an elderly couple from the upper story of their home.
“I had the worst day of my life yesterday,” said Ricardo Gabaldón, the mayor of the village of Utiel.