Devastating floods in eastern Spain this week have killed 158 people, local rescue services said today, as quoted by world agencies.
Authorities last updated the death toll yesterday, when they reported 95 dead, Reuters noted.
The deadliest floods in Spain's recent history devastated the Valencia region after heavy rain on Tuesday and yesterday.
Some areas of Spain are preparing for more torrential rains, DPA says. The Met Office has issued a flood warning for the entire province of Castillon in the autonomous region of Valencia, which was hit hard by heavy rain today.
"The storms are not over yet", warned Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who is visiting Valencia. He assured local residents that they would have support from the central government in Madrid.
Most of the deaths so far have been reported in the city of Valencia itself, as well as in the province of the same name. The Balearic Islands government has also urged residents to exercise maximum caution over the coming days, particularly on the popular resort islands of Majorca and Menorca. Code orange is in effect there - the second highest level of danger.
Tomorrow is a day off in Spain and many Spaniards usually take advantage of the long weekend to travel, DPA points out. However, Sánchez urged people in the affected provinces of Valencia and Castileón to stay at home. According to him, it is important that they pay attention to the warnings of the authorities and follow their recommendations.
Meanwhile, rescue teams today continue to search flooded homes and stranded cars for people still missing after the devastating floods, Reuters notes.
Rescuers are using helicopters to pull survivors from flooded areas and are searching thick mud and swept away cars for bodies.
Floods caused severe damage to infrastructure in Valencia, sweeping away bridges, roads and railways and inundating farmland in the region, which produces around two-thirds of Spain's citrus fruits – one of the world's leading exporters of oranges.
About 80 kilometers of roads are seriously damaged or impassable in the eastern part of the country, Transport Minister Oscar Puente told reporters, adding that it will take two to three weeks to restore the high-speed rail link between Valencia and Madrid.
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