At least 95 people lost their lives in eastern, central and southern Spain after torrential rains triggered the deadliest floods the country has witnessed in three decades.
The muddy waters that surged through cities, towns and villages have cut off roads and railway lines in the regions. Multiple search operations are underway for several missing people.
By Wednesday afternoon, the Valencian government’s emergency coordination centre said the latest number of known deaths in the region had reached 92, The Guardian reported. Meanwhile, the central government delegation in the neighbouring Castilla-La Mancha region reported two deaths, including that of an 88-year-old woman in the city of Cuenca. The other death was reported in Andalucía’s Málaga province which is witnessing the wrath of torrential weather.
The Valencian authorities warned residents to keep clear of flooded or cut-off roads. They asked people to allow access to emergency service workers and stated that more flood water could be accumulated in the region. Meanwhile, over 1,000 soldiers from Spain’s emergency response units were deployed to the devastated areas.
Train derailed due to floods
Horrific videos that are circulating online, showcased the devastation caused by the floods. Amid the chaos, a high-speed train carrying 300 people derailed near Málaga. However, the authorities maintained that there were no casualties reported in the incident. The Tuesday flooding is now seen as Spain’s worst since 1996.
Europe’s last catastrophic floods came in July 2021, when 243 people lost their lives in Germany, Belgium, Romania, Italy and Austria. Interestingly, the intense rain has been attributed to a phenomenon known as the gota fría, or “cold drop”, which occurs when cold air moves over the warm waters of the Mediterranean. This phenomenon creates atmospheric instability, causing warm, saturated air to rise rapidly, leading to heavy rain and thunderstorms.
While commenting on the matter in a televised statement, Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, called for unity, solidarity and vigilance at the time of crisis. “We mustn’t let our guard down because the weather front is still wreaking havoc and we can’t say that this devastating episode is over,” he said on Tuesday.
“There are still weather warnings in Andalucía, Valencia, Aragón, Castilla y León, in Catalonia, Extremadura, Navarre, La Rioja and Ceuta. That’s why I’m asking people in those areas to take special care: to stay off the roads; to avoid travelling close to ravines, riverbanks and riverbeds, and to heed the advice of the emergency services and of the police. No one should be putting their life at risk,” the Spanish premier furthered.
