At least 51 dead after catastrophic flash floods tear through streets in Spain

Wednesday, October 30, 2024 - The number of people killed in extreme flash floods in Spain has now reached "at least" 51 in Valencia alone, regional government officials said.

The dramatic death toll from one of the country’s worst-ever natural disasters was expected to rise as the search continued for dozens of people still unaccounted for.

Multiple corpses were recovered overnight while a search is still ongoing for survivors.

One part of Valencia, Chiva, recorded a year’s worth of rain in just eight hours yesterday, with 491mm of rain according to the Spanish Weather Service.

President of the region Carlos Mazon said: "There are lifeless bodies in some of the areas that have begun to be accessed and bodies that continue to appear."

Mud-coloured waters caused havoc, running from the provinces of Malaga in the south to Valencia in the east.

Footage shows the moment rows of cars were swept away as the water increased by several feet in just minutes, bursting into the lower level of homes.

Videos from Valencia airport overnight showed the tarmac and runways entirely submerged.

Pictures from inside showed hundreds of passengers waiting for updates, with many seen sleeping on the floor.

A high-speed train with nearly 300 people on board derailed near Malaga, but rail authorities confirmed that no one was hurt.

The high-speed train service between Valencia city and Madrid was interrupted as were several commuter lines.

A truck driver in L’Alcudia, Valencia, is among the missing. Six people are missing in neighbouring Castilla La Mancha.

These eastern provinces are among the regions hardest hit by the effects of this freak rain that’s followed a period of severe drought.

It led Spain’s weather office to issue a rare red alert for bad weather, its maximum warning level for extreme danger, today.

Amber warnings for rain and storms were also issued for the Valencia region. Storms are expected to continue until Thursday.

Video showed how hail stones the size of golf balls left dents in vehicle bodywork and smashed windows.

There have been hundreds of calls to emergency services, with the military called in to deal with the unfolding disruption.

In one such rescue, a family trapped in a car with three children on a dirt road had to be helped to safety.

El Ejido in Almeria was one one of the hardest hit areas, with many basements and garages flooded as well as the ground floor or people’s homes.

People were also being rescued by helicopter in the same town after getting trapped in their homes as the water levels kept rising.

The floods are expected to cause millions of euros of damage, with the Valencian Farmers Association telling Spanish newspaper El Mundo that "up to 100% of the harvest" could be lost as trees and soil were churned up and agricultural infrastructure damage.