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Spain floods latest: Barcelona put on highest alert as airport flooded and 70 flights cancelled

Latest alert comes as British couple found dead – with total killed by devastating storms across country at more than 200

Stuti Mishra,Tom Watling ,Barney Davis
Monday 04 November 2024 23:04
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Barcelona Airport runway flooded as country put on red alert

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Barcelona is facing a red alert warning for dangerous torrential train, with part of the city, including the airport, beginning to flood.

Fatalities from Spain’s worst flash floods in modern history rose to 217 almost all of them in the Valencia region and more than 60 in the suburb of Paiporta. Hundreds are still missing

The deadly storm that swept through Barcelona led to the suspension of 70 departing flights and the diversion of another 18 at Barcelona-El Prat Airport, according to operator Aena.

The heavy rainfall has also caused flooding in key areas, including the T-1 terminal and parking facilities.

Footage from the city showed the runway completely submerged as one plane aborted a landing and the few planes left on the tarmac were forced to sludge through several inches of flood water.

Meanwhile, in Valencia, the search continued for bodies inside houses and thousands of wrecked cars strewn in the streets, on highways, and in canals that channeled last week's floods into populated areas.

In the Aldaia municipality, some 50 soldiers, police and firefighters, some wearing wetsuits, searched in a huge shopping center's underground parking lot for possible victims. They used a small boat and spotlights to move around in the huge structure with vehicles submerged in at least a meter of murky water.

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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.

Read the full article here:

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

Stuti Mishra4 November 2024 08:00
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Days after devastating floods, people still await drinking water

Five days after devastating floods struck eastern Spain, many residents still lack access to basic necessities like drinking water, while internet and mobile phone coverage remain unreliable.

Power was only restored for most people on Saturday as thousands continued to clean up in the absence of electricity.

The burden of clearing the mud and wreckage has largely fallen on residents and volunteers, who continue to dig through the layers of devastation.

In Paiporta, a town of 30,000, city blocks are choked with debris, ruined cars, and layers of mud. Stores and supermarkets lie in ruins, and thousands have been left homeless, their homes ravaged by waves of sludge.

Anger is mounting among residents, who criticise the government’s response as too slow and poorly managed.

One flashpoint of frustration was the delayed emergency alert sent to mobile phones, which came two hours after the floods had already hit Paiporta.

"We have lost everything!" one resident shouted at the King yesterday.

Spain's King Felipe (C) consoles a resident during his visit to Paiporta, in the province of Valencia, eastern Spain
Spain's King Felipe (C) consoles a resident during his visit to Paiporta, in the province of Valencia, eastern Spain (EPA)
Stuti Mishra4 November 2024 07:00
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10,000 troops and police officers to be drafted to deal with floods aftermath

Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has ordered 10,000 troops and police officers to be drafted to deal with the aftermath of the devastating Valencia floods.

The prime minister said it was his nation’s largest peacetime military deployment. Mr Sánchez said the government was mobilising all the resources at its disposal to deal with the “terrible tragedy”.

“There are still dozens of people looking for their loved ones and hundreds of households mourning the loss of a relative, a friend or a neighbour,” he said in a televised address on Saturday morning. “I want to express our deepest love to them and assure them that the government of Spain and the entire state, at all its different administrative levels, is with all of them.”

Stuti Mishra4 November 2024 06:14
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How Spain’s ‘catastrophic’ floods led to over 200 deaths - explained through pictures

At least 217 people are dead after Spain was struck by the worst floods in recent memory that submerged towns, toppled bridges and cut entire communities off from the outside world.

The deadly floods left cars piled up like toys in streets, swallowed homes, and covered entire neighbourhoods in sludge and debris.

Muddy rivers swept away everything in their path – roads, houses and key infrastructure.

Read the full article here:

How Spain’s ‘catastrophic’ floods led to over 200 deaths - explained through pictures

Floods left cars piled up like toys in streets, swallowed homes, and covered entire neighbourhoods in sludge as authorities report 202 fatalities

Holly Evans4 November 2024 05:00

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