Spain Faces Heavy Losses After the Worst Flash Flood in History.
Shocking flash floods in Spain.
The flash floods in Spain swept away numerous cars, transformed rural roads into rivers, disrupted railways and highways, and resulted in at least 95 fatalities in this devastating natural disaster hitting the European nation.
Heavy rainfall began on Tuesday and continued into Wednesday, causing flooding across a vast area in southern and eastern Spain, stretching from Malaga to Valencia. Mudslides overturned vehicles on fast-moving streets, while swirling debris and household items were carried along by the water. Police and rescue services utilized helicopters to evacuate residents from their homes and rubber boats to reach drivers trapped on their rooftops.
Cars piled up after the flash flood.
Emergency services in the eastern Valencia area confirmed the death toll had reached 92 by Wednesday. Two additional fatalities were reported in the neighboring Castilla-La Mancha region, while the southern Andalusia region accounted for one death.
“It was the worst day of my life,” Ricardo Gabaldón, the mayor of Utiel, a town in Valencia, told national broadcaster RTVE on Wednesday.
He reported that six residents had died and several others were still missing. “We were trapped like rats. Cars and trash bins were floating down the streets. The water rose to three meters,” he said.
The Spanish government declared three days of national mourning starting Thursday.
“For those searching for their loved ones, all of Spain feels your pain,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez stated on television.
The elderly are the most vulnerable.
Rescue teams and over 1,100 soldiers from Spain’s emergency response units have been deployed to affected areas. The central Spanish government has established a crisis committee to coordinate rescue efforts.
The elderly are among the most vulnerable. RTVE aired footage of elderly residents in a nursing home sitting in chairs and wheelchairs with water rising above their knees, and a military unit rescuing an elderly couple from the highest floor of their home using a bulldozer’s bucket.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen addressed reporters in Brussels, stating that the EU will “help coordinate rescue teams” using the Copernicus satellite monitoring system. “Europe is ready to help,” Von der Leyen said.
