Spain floods latest: Furious crowds chant ‘murderer’ and toss mud at King Felipe in crisis-hit Valencia visit
Death toll from country’s worst flood-related disaster in modern history rises to 214 and set to keep rising
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Your support makes all the difference.A furious crowd chanted “murderer” and tossed mud at King Felipe as he visited the areas worst affected by Spain’s worst ever flood-related disaster.
Footage shows the moment the King was surrounded by angry locals who are still reeling as the death toll from the floods reaches 217 - and is likely to continue climbing.
Police officers on horseback had to keep back the crowd of several dozen.
The King and his wife, Queen Letizia, visited Valencia on Sunday with prime minister Pedro Sanchez. They met local officials, emergency responders and civilians.
Thousands of troops have been mobilised in what Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez called the “biggest operation by the Armed Forces in Spain in peacetime”.
It comes as fears grow that large numbers of bodies remain trapped underwater - including in the entirely submerged underground car park of Bonaire shopping centre, one of the largest in Spain.
Specialist scuba divers are now searching for bodies in the car park.
Eduardo Martinez, who works in the shopping centre, told ElDiario.es that some “ignored” advice from a security guard not to collect their cars from an underground car park when the flooding began.
‘Where is the aid? My town is a cemetery’: Spanish flood victim reveals horror in town where 62 have died
Cars and furniture lay piled up in mud as Spain reels from deadly floods
Spain floods mapped: Where are weather alerts in force as death toll hits 158?
‘Everything looks apocalyptic’: Spain flood victim says her entire home was engulfed in less than 10 minutes
‘Cold drop’ and flood defences: What caused the devastating flash flooding in Spain?
What caused the flash floods in Spain?
The storms concentrated over the Magro and Turia river basins and, in the Poyo riverbed, produced walls of water that overflowed river banks, catching people unaware as they went on with their daily lives, with many coming home from work on Tuesday evening.
In the blink of an eye, the muddy water covered roads and railways, and entered houses and businesses in villages on the southern outskirts of Valencia city.
Drivers had to take shelter on car roofs while residents tried to take refuge on higher ground.
Spain’s national weather service said that in the hard-hit locality of Chiva it rained more in eight hours than it had in the preceding 20 months, calling the deluge “extraordinary”.
When the authorities sent the alert to mobile phones warning of the seriousness of the phenomenon and asked people to stay at home, many were already on the road, working or covered in water in low-lying areas or garages, which became death traps.
Watch: ‘It’s all destroyed’: Aftermath of deadly flash floods in Spain
90 per cent of households in Valenica have power restored
On Friday, the mass spontaneous arrival of volunteers complicated access for professional emergency workers to some areas, prompting authorities to devise a plan on how and where to deploy them.
Rafael Armero, 19, who was in Alfafar, a suburb of Valencia, said on Saturday: “I have been going around the town for three days helping everyone who needs it. We have a backpack full of food and water for anyone who needs it.”
More than 90 per cent of the households in Valencia had regained power on Friday, utility Iberdrola said, though thousands still lacked electricity in cut-off areas that rescuers struggled to reach.
Watch: ‘It’s all destroyed’: Aftermath of deadly flash floods in Spain
90 per cent of households in Valenica have power restored
On Friday, the mass spontaneous arrival of volunteers complicated access for professional emergency workers to some areas, prompting authorities to devise a plan on how and where to deploy them.
Rafael Armero, 19, who was in Alfafar, a suburb of Valencia, said on Saturday: “I have been going around the town for three days helping everyone who needs it. We have a backpack full of food and water for anyone who needs it.”
More than 90 per cent of the households in Valencia had regained power on Friday, utility Iberdrola said, though thousands still lacked electricity in cut-off areas that rescuers struggled to reach.
Is it safe to travel to Spain and should I cancel my holiday after flooding disaster?
Eastern Spain has been hit with devastating flash flooding this week, the worst flooding disaster the area has experienced in decades.
Rainstorms started on Tuesday (29 October) and continued into Wednesday. In the aftermath of the floods, cars have been piled on the street surrounded by a sea of debris from damaged buildings and structures.
Here is the latest on the situation in Spain and what you need to know about travel.
Amelia Neath reports:
Is it safe to travel to Spain? Should I cancel my holiday?
Flooding has severly impacted the Valencia region, with more rain on the way in the the southwest in Huelva
Worst of the storm over in Mallorca
The worst of the storm is over in Majorca despite much of the island being hit by torrential rain on Friday night, according to local media reports.
Javier Bonet, the first deputy mayor of Majorcan capital Palma, urged locals and tourists to only leave their homes if “absolutely necessary” on Friday.
“We are not on red alert, but it is essential to warn the population to avoid greater risks,” he added.
But the Mallorca Daily Bulletin reports that the “storm is subsiding” and the “emergency services believe that the worst of the cold snap has passed”.
Emergency services still advise significant caution as rain is still possible on Saturday.
Full report: Spain deploys 5,000 more soldiers as death toll from devastating floods hits 211
The death toll after flash flooding wreaked devastation in Spain has reached 211, as the prime minister announced that 5,000 additional soldiers had been deployed to assist the rescue operation.
An unknown number of people remain missing after the country suffered its deadliest natural disaster in living memory, which saw heavy rainfall wash away houses and cars in the eastern and central regions.
On Saturday, rescuers were still searching for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings on Saturday, four days after the storm which has devastated the country.
Holly Evans reports:
Spain deploys 5,000 more soldiers as death toll from devastating floods reaches 211
An unknown number of people remain missing while tourist hotspot Majorca remains on lockdown
Live: Rescue operations as Spain recovers from flash flood devastation
Follow the link below to watch live as volunteers and emergency services carry out rescue operations in the devastated eastern region of Valencia.
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Satellite photos show level of devastation in eastern Valencia region
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