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Spain floods latest: British man among 95 dead in Valencia flooding as dozens still missing

The death toll continues to rise after the worst flash floods in three decades swept the eastern Spanish region of Valencia

Spain: Floods sweep several cars away in Valencia province, Spain

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At least 95 people, including a 71-year-old British man, have died in southern and eastern Spain following the deadliest flash flooding in the country for three decades.

Authorities fear the death will rise as other regions of Spain were yet to report victims and search efforts continued in hard-to-reach places to find dozens of missing people.

“The fact that we can’t give a number of the missing persons indicates the magnitude of the tragedy,” said minister of territory policies Angel Victor Torres.

A British man died in hospital hours after being rescued from his home on the outskirts of Alhaurín de la Torre, Málaga, according to the president of the Andalusian government, Juanma Morena.

He said the man had been suffering from hypothermia and died after suffering several cardiac arrests.

As torrential rain – amounting to a year’s worth in just eight hours in some areas – inundated cities such as Valencia and Malaga, many found themselves "trapped like rats" in their homes and cars, surrounded by rapidly rising floodwaters.

Police and rescuers used helicopters to lift people from their homes and cars as mud-coloured water quickly filled streets in dozens of villages, towns and cities.

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‘A river came through'

Residents in the worst-hit places described seeing people clambering onto the roofs of their cars as a churning tide of brown water gushed through the streets, uprooting trees and dragging away chunks of masonry from buildings.

“It’s a river that came through,” said Denis Hlavaty, who waited for rescue on a ledge in the petrol station where he works in the regional capital.

“The doors were torn away and I spent the night there, surrounded by water that was 2 metres (6.5ft) deep.”

Footage shot by emergency services from a helicopter showed bridges that had collapsed and cars and trucks piled on top of each other on highways between flooded fields outside the city of Valencia, on Spain’s east coast.

cars piled high in a street, overshadowing a man and dog
cars piled high in a street, overshadowing a man and dog (Getty Images)
Map showing Valencia
Map showing Valencia (Google Maps)
Jane Dalton30 October 2024 20:00
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Three days of mourning after Spain’s deadliest flooding in nearly 30 years

Spain’s government said it would declare three days of mourning starting tomorrow for those killed.

The death toll appears to be the worst in Europe from flooding since 2021 when at least 185 people died in Germany.

It is the deadliest flood-related disaster in Spain since 1996, when 87 people died near a town in the Pyrenees mountains.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said Europe was ready to help. “What we’re seeing in Spain is devastating,” she said on social media.

Jane Dalton30 October 2024 19:30
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At least 95 now dead

The death toll from flash floods in Valencia and eastern Spain has reached at least 95, Spanish officials said.

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said dozens of towns had been flooded.

“For those who are looking for their loved ones, all of Spain feels your pain,” Mr Sanchez said in a televised address. “Our priority is to help you. We are putting all the resources necessary so that we can recover from this tragedy.”

Athena Stavrou30 October 2024 18:43
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British man, 71, killed in floods

A 71-year-old British man has been confirmed as one of the casualties of the flash floods.

President of the Andalusian government, Juanma Morena, said the man had died in hospital hours after being rescued from his home on the outskirts of Alhaurín de la Torre, Málaga.

He added that he was suffering from hypothermia and died after suffering several cardiac arrests.

Athena Stavrou30 October 2024 18:38
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Flooding brought worst day of my life, says mayor

The mayor of a town where six people died and more were unaccounted for says it was the worst day of his life.

Ricardo Gabaldon, mayor of Utiel in Valencia, told national broadcaster RTVE: “We were trapped like rats. Cars and rubbish containers were flowing down the streets. The water was rising to 3 meters (9.8ft).”

Searchers worked to find survivors and victims, with countless numbers still missing.

Jane Dalton30 October 2024 18:30
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Pictured: Dana storm leaves destroyed towns and hundred of displaced

Residents look at damaged road and houses following floods in Letur, southwest of Valencia, eastern Spain
Residents look at damaged road and houses following floods in Letur, southwest of Valencia, eastern Spain (AFP via Getty Images)
A person walks past a damaged boat in the flood-hit municipality of Sedavi, in the province of Valencia, eastern Spain
A person walks past a damaged boat in the flood-hit municipality of Sedavi, in the province of Valencia, eastern Spain (EPA)
Residents look at damaged road and houses following floods in Letur, southwest of Valencia, eastern Spain
Residents look at damaged road and houses following floods in Letur, southwest of Valencia, eastern Spain (AFP via Getty Images)
Salma Ouaguira30 October 2024 16:40
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Dana storm causes £5.6m in damages in southern Spain

The City Council of El Ejido (Almería) has estimated that the damages caused by heavy rain and hailstorms since last Monday amount to €6.8 million (£5.6m) in public spaces, buildings, and municipal facilities.

Mayor Francisco Góngora and local authorities, who have quantified the damages, said that the destruction has been "substantial and severe”.

Mr Góngora said the storm has affected "more than thirty municipal buildings,” particularly in the areas of El Ejido, Santa María del Águila, Almerimar, and Las Norias.

Salma Ouaguira30 October 2024 16:30
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At least 34 dead in a town ‘totally cut off’ in Valencia

The mayor of a town in Valencia, Paiporta, has confirmed at least 34 dead due to the dana floods.

Maribel Albalat, from the town of only 25,000 inhabitants, has said the area is “totally cut off, and nothing is working,” and they have “no water.”

The mayor added that the town is trying to “open communication routes” and urged those unable to locate family members in Paiporta to go to the Civil Guard Command in Calamocha Street, Valencia.

Salma Ouaguira30 October 2024 16:23
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Pictured: Military deployed to assist rescue teams in Valencia

A military vehicle in a street following floods in Letur, southwest of Valencia, eastern Spain
A military vehicle in a street following floods in Letur, southwest of Valencia, eastern Spain (AFP via Getty Images)
Salma Ouaguira30 October 2024 16:14
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Andalusia issues rare red emergency level and urges for ‘maximum caution’

Andalusia has raised its emergency level to red due to the severe risk of flooding in the Cádiz countryside.

The decision follows Spanish meteorological agency’s red warning of heavy rains - which has already caused flooding and road closures in Jerez de la Frontera.

The region has now sent warnings to all mobile phones in the red alert area, urging residents to be extremely caution and avoid travel.

Andalusian President Juan Manuel Moreno has called for "maximum caution."

Salma Ouaguira30 October 2024 16:06

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