In a catastrophic turn of events, Spain is grappling with the aftermath of unprecedented floods that have claimed at least 95 lives, leaving towns submerged and streets littered with overturned vehicles. The Valencia region has been hit hardest, where torrential rains unleashed a deluge that transformed the landscape into a muddy nightmare.
As the nation enters three days of mourning, approximately 1,000 soldiers have joined forces with police and firefighters in a desperate bid to locate survivors and recover bodies. “The death toll will rise because there are many missing people,” warned Territorial Policy Minister Angel Victor Torres. With up to a year’s worth of rain falling in mere hours, rescuers are racing against time, using helicopters to pluck stranded individuals from rooftops and navigating homes flooded to neck-deep levels.
Rescue Operations in Full Swing
Emergency services have reported a staggering 200 ground rescues and 70 aerial evacuations, as the Valencia regional government chief, Carlos Mazon, detailed the ongoing efforts. The provisional death toll stands at 92 in Valencia alone, with additional casualties reported in Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia. The scene in Sedavi, a suburb of Valencia, is harrowing, with a sea of mud and wrecked cars engulfing the streets.
Survivors are being housed in makeshift shelters, including fire stations, as the region struggles to restore normalcy. Rail and air transport remain severely disrupted, adding to the chaos. This disaster marks Spain’s deadliest flood event since 1973, when at least 150 lives were lost in the southeastern provinces. Scientists are sounding alarms about the increasing frequency and intensity of such extreme weather events, attributing them to human-induced climate change.
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