At least 63 are the victims of the floods in eastern Spain, after the incoming waters swept away cars, turned the streets of many villages into rivers and destroyed railways and highways, the Associated Press reported, assessing that this was the worst disaster in the country in years, writes BTA .
Emergency services in the eastern province of Valencia today confirmed the death of 62 people. Later, the office of the national government in the region of Castilla la Mancha added to the victims an 88-year-old woman found dead in the city of Cuenca.
The death toll could rise further as some regions are still reporting new casualties and the search for missing people continues.
Yesterday heavy rains caused flooding in a large area stretching from Malaga to Valencia in southern and eastern Spain. Flows of muddy water carried vehicles, parts of trees and various objects onto the streets.
Police and emergency services used helicopters to evacuate people from their homes, and rubber boats reached swept away cars, where crews checked for people trapped inside.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said dozens of villages were flooded.
„The whole of Spain shares the pain of those looking for their loved ones,”, Sanchez said in a televised address. “Our priority is to help you. We will harness all the necessary resources to recover from this tragedy," he added.
Sanchez urged residents of the region to remain vigilant. “We cannot consider this devastating disaster over,” he said.
Authorities last night reported several people missing, but in the morning came the shocking reports of dozens of dead bodies.
During the night, the president of the regional government of the province of Valencia, Carlos Monzon, said that several bodies had been found. “We are facing an unprecedented situation, the likes of which we have never seen,”, he added.
„Yesterday was the worst day of my life”, said Ricardo Gabaldon – mayor of Utiel – a city in the Valencia region. He reported that several of his fellow citizens are still missing.
„The situation is terrible,” Defense Minister Margarita Robles commented to journalists. She added that over a thousand military personnel and helicopters are deployed in the affected areas to support the work of rescue teams.
Emergency teams from other parts of the country are also headed to eastern Spain. The Spanish government has also created a crisis committee to help coordinate rescue operations.