Spain flash floods kill at least 51 people in Valencia region ...
Spanish authorities say that 62 people have died after flash floods swept away cars, turned village streets into rivers, and disrupted rail lines and major roads.
Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia confirmed the death toll.
Images broadcast on Spanish TV showed mud-coloured flood waters sweeping through the town of Letur in the province of Albacete on Tuesday, pushing cars and debris through the streets.
The regional president of eastern Valencia, Carlos Mazon, said it was still too early to give an exact figure of the dead, with many people still missing.
Members of emergency services carry the body of a person trapped after floods in Letur, Albacete. Picture: Víctor Fernández/Europa Press via APMr Mazon spoke after Spanish national broadcaster RTVE said 13 bodies were recovered in Valencia, citing the Civil Guard.
Emergency services personnel were also using drones to look for six people who were missing in the wake of flash floods in Letur, the central government’s representative in Castilla-La Mancha told Spanish public television TVE, while missing persons were also reported in the town of L’Alcúdia in Valencia.
Spanish airport operator Aena said that 12 flights that were due to land at Valencia airport have been diverted to other cities in Spain due to the heavy rain and strong winds, with a further 10 flights due to depart or arrive at the airport cancelled.
ADIF, Spain's national rail infrastructure operator said high-speed trains between Madrid and the eastern port of Valencia were suspended due to the effects of the storm on main points of the rail network in the Valencia region.
A high-speed train with nearly 300 people on board derailed near Malaga, although rail authorities said no-one was hurt.
AEMET, the state's weather agency, declared a red alert in the Valencia region and the second-highest level of alert in parts of the souther province of Andalusia.
More than 1,000 soldiers from Spain’s emergency response units were deployed to the devastated areas.
A man walks on a flooded motorway in Valencia, Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)Spain’s central government set up a crisis committee to help co-ordinate rescue efforts.
Spain’s King Felipe has said he was “heartbroken” by news of the floods.
“I’m sending strength, encouragement and all the necessary support to all those affected,” he said in a post shared on social media.
“We recognise and appreciate all the local and regional authorities and the emergency and security services as they continue with the titanic task they have been carrying out since the very first moment.”
Weather warning across southern and eastern Spain
In a statement on Wednesday morning, Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez said the weather front "is still wreaking havoc and we can’t say that this devastating episode is over".
“There are still weather warnings in Andalucía, Valencia, Aragón, Castilla y León, in Cataluña, in Extremadura, in Navarra, in La Rioja and in Ceuta," he said.
"That’s why I’m asking people in those areas to take special care: to stay off the roads; to avoid travelling close to ravines, riverbanks and riverbeds, and to heed the advice of the emergency services and of the police. No one should be putting their life at risk.”
Storms were forecast to continue through Thursday, according to Spain’s national weather service.
Spain has experienced similar autumn storms in recent years. It is still recovering from a severe drought earlier this year.
Scientists say increased episodes of extreme weather are likely linked to climate change.
