In the wake of the devastating floods that have hit Spain, the death toll has tragically surpassed 200, with dozens of people still missing in Valencia. The situation is dire, with a temporary morgue set up in a convention centre to handle the overwhelming number of casualties.
The eastern region of Valencia has been the hardest hit, with at least 202 fatalities reported, while three people have lost their lives in Castilla La Mancha and Andalusia. This catastrophic event marks Europe’s worst weather disaster in fifty years, with the number of casualties nearly matching the heavy floods that struck Romania in 1970.
Rescue efforts are ongoing, with 500 soldiers deployed to search for missing individuals and provide assistance to survivors. Despite these efforts, the death toll is expected to rise as many people remain unaccounted for. The devastation caused by the floods has left approximately 75,000 homes without electricity, prompting firefighters to siphon petrol from abandoned vehicles to power generators and restore domestic supplies.
The torrential rain that fell in just eight hours on Tuesday night wreaked havoc on infrastructure, leading to the destruction of roads, rail tracks, and bridges as rivers overflowed. The impact of this natural disaster is profound, with local residents and volunteers coming together to clean up the aftermath and support one another during this difficult time.