By Anjali Sharma
WASHINGTON – According to Spanish state news agency EFE on Thursday the Mayor Maribel Albalat of Paiporta of Valencia, 40 individuals, including 6 residents of a retirement home, lost their lives.
According to authorities, 95 people have died due to severe flash floods in Spain, with emergency responders on their toes searching for others who are still missing.
Valencia is the hardest hit where 92 fatalities were confirmed by Angel Victor Torres, Spain’s Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory.
Media reported 2 deaths occurred in Castile-La Mancha and one in Andalusia.
According to the state weather agency AEMET, the areas in southern and eastern Spain experienced up to 12 inches of rain in just a few hours on Tuesday made the heaviest rainfall Valencia has seen in 28 years.
The region descended into chaos as most highways became impassable, abandoned vehicles being swept away by floodwaters.
According to local media reports videos from rescue agencies show streets submerged, people stranded on rooftops, and overturned cars.
Emergency services in Valencia, Malaga, and Castile-La-Mancha are continuing their search for the missing.
Emiliano Garcia-Page, president of Castile-La-Mancha’s regional government, likened the flooding to a dam bursting, stating, “It’s not a rain pour; it was like a dam burst.”
Train services between Madrid and Valencia have been suspended, along with other public services in affected regions. Schools, museums, and public libraries in Valencia are set to remain closed on Thursday.
According to media reports indicated that 1,200 people are still trapped on different stretches of highway in Valencia, and 5,000 vehicles are immobilised due to the rising waters.
In areas near rivers like Utiel and Paiporta, water overflowed into streets, swept away vehicles and debris, media reported.
AEMET stated that the weather phenomenon “cold drop,” has caused the most severe flooding Valencia has experienced this century, though it remains unclear if climate change is a contributing factor.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez pledged that the government would utilise all available resources to assist flood victims and urged citizens to stay vigilant.
He is scheduled to visit Valencia on Thursday.
Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles referred to the floods as an “unprecedented phenomenon,” announced that over 1,000 military personnel had been deployed for rescue operations.
The Spanish government has declared three days of official mourning for the victims, started Thursday.
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