The president of the Generalitat of Valencia, Carlos Mazón, asked the population not to travel by road in the province during the emergency
By: RFI with AFP | Ray Sánchez, RFI correspondent in Madrid
Torrential rains in southeastern Spain caused flash floods and left at least 51 dead in the Valencia region, local rescue services reported this Wednesday, as they continue to search for people missing due to the storm.
“First assessment carried out by the different security and emergency bodies and forces: provisional death toll of 51 people,” the Valencia relief services indicated on the X social network.
“The process of surveying and identifying the victims is beginning,” they added.
‼️Official Communiqué from Cecopi:
◾️Multiple Victim Procedure activated since last night:
➡️First assessment carried out by the different security and emergency bodies and forces: provisional death toll of 51 people
➡️The process of…
— Emergències 112CV (@GVA112) October 30, 2024
Strong winds and torrential rains have hit southern and eastern Spain since the beginning of the week, causing flooding, especially in Valencia and the Andalusia region.
Some parts of the Valencian Community were still without telephone or electricity service on Wednesday morning and certain places continued to be inaccessible due to flooded roads, the regional president, Carlos Mazón, informed journalists.
In the municipality of Valencia, school classes and sporting events were suspended, while parks will remain closed during the day.
In some areas, the amount of rain that usually falls in a month fell in one day, according to local media.
“We are facing an unprecedented situation, which no one remembers,” said the head of the Government of Valencia.
“Apocalyptic, catastrophic” situation in the Valencia region
“It was a matter of 10 minutes and everything changed,” Diego Morell, a young man who was surprised by the storm while returning to Valencia from Alicante and was blocked on the road for three hours, told Radio France International.
«Ahead, 200 meters away, we had a ravine that had overflowed and crossed the highway and behind us we had another. Fortunately, we were in the middle,” he explained and added: “When they opened the road we saw 400 meters of trucks and cars turned around, with the emergency lights on, floating…”
«And when we were arriving in L’Alcudia, we came face to face with reality. We saw trucks flip over and crush cars because there was supposedly a tornado. “It was apocalyptic, catastrophic” – Diego Morell, victim of the storm
Footage recorded on Tuesday showed torrents of water washing away streets and washing away cars, while rail and air transport to the area was severely affected.
*Read also: Minister Lorca reviewed plans for the prevention of damage due to rain
A similar situation was experienced in the neighboring province of Albacete, where emergency services were searching for six people missing after flash floods in the city of Letur, declared the delegate of the central government in the region of Castilla-La Mancha, Milagros Tolón, to the public channel TVE.
“The most important problem is finding those missing people,” he said.
The police in the town of L’Alcudia, in the eastern region of Valencia, indicated that they are also searching for a truck driver missing since early afternoon.
We reiterate the importance of NOT traveling by road, both in the province of Valencia and in Castellón. The telephone number for assistance to relatives of missing persons is activated, it is: 900 365 112. For emergencies, 112 is not blocked. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/VEb8PXQFFZ
— Carlos Mazón (@carlos_mazon_) October 30, 2024
“It’s going to come”
Mazón assured that rescuers are fighting to reach people trapped by the floods.
«People who are stopped or blocked right now know that it is going to arrive and that, if it has not arrived, it is not due to lack of means or lack of predisposition or lack of capacity, because capacity is all about being able to access . It is still an access problem,” he explained.
Despite the storm announced by the meteorological services, the Valencian Government did not alert the population of the seriousness of the situation until some areas were already completely flooded.
Many today point to the president of the Valencian region for having boasted shortly after taking office last year of eliminating the emergency service in Valencia.
A huge Dana surprises the Valencians and causes a catastrophe
➡️ https://t.co/l6HFk9U74B pic.twitter.com/rMKifgo9mi
— Valencia Plaza (@valenciaplaza) October 30, 2024
The Spanish central government announced that it formed a crisis committee that met Tuesday night to evaluate responses to the storm.
Likewise, it sent the Military Emergency Unit, specialized in rescue missions, to Valencia to support local relief services.
“I follow closely and with concern the information about the missing people and the damage caused” by the storm – Pedro Sánchez, President of the Spanish Government
The kings of Spain were also “desolate” this Wednesday in the face of the serious floods, according to the Royal Family on the social network X.
The Congress of Deputies observed a minute of silence on Wednesday in honor of the victims, while Sánchez, who was returning from a tour of India, will chair a crisis committee at noon to monitor the situation.
The heavy rains subside this Wednesday in the province of Valencia, but there is still an orange warning in the interior of Castellón until 2:00 p.m.
Caution in the northeast of the peninsula and western Andalusia: very strong showers may occur.
Stay informed! pic.twitter.com/aDEOGWojrS— AEMET (@AEMET_Esp) October 30, 2024
The state meteorological agency AEMET declared a red alert in the Valencia region and the second alert level in parts of Andalusia. In both regions there are roads blocked by floods.
The agency predicts that the rains will continue at least until Thursday.
Scientists warn that extreme weather events, such as heat waves and storms, are becoming more intense due to climate change.
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