Spain is battling with the deadliest flash flooding in three decades as the number of casualties rises to 95.
According to BBC, the search and rescue operation continues after huge rains swept the eastern province of Valencia and beyond, leaving at least 95 people dead and dozens of others missing.
92 deaths were reported in Valencia, two in Castilla-La Mancha to Valencia’s west, and a 71-year-old British man died in a hospital in Málaga after being rescued from his home.
The government has said that the death toll is expected to rise as “there are many missing people.”
Moreover, heavy rain on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, triggered flash flooding in the country, which swept away buildings, bridges, and cars and forced people to climb on their rooftops and trees to save their lives.
As per the state meteorological service, Aemet, one of the first towns near Valencia, Chiva, received one year’s worth of rainfall on Tuesday in just eight hours.
The weather agency also issued yellow and orange warnings for eastern Spain and alerted that up to 100mm of rain is expected to fall within 12 hours in areas north of Valencia.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, in his national address on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, declared three days of mourning and told victims, “The whole of Spain weeps with you… we won’t abandon you.”
Sánchez also urged citizens to stay alert as the extreme condition continues and pledged a full recovery.
