Spain floods latest: British man among 95 dead in Valencia flooding as dozens still missing
Death toll continues to rise after worst flash floods in three decades swept Spanish region of Valencia
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The number of people killed in Spain’s deadliest flash flooding in three decades is expected to rise, as the search for dozens still missing continues and more rain is expected to come.
At least 95 people, including a 71-year-old British man, have died in southern and eastern Spain following the devastating flash flooding.
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.
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. Government minister Angel Victor Torres told Spanish broadcaster TVE that “there are many missing people.”
As the search and rescue operation continues, more rain is expected to fall on some of the worst-affected areas.
Spain’s state meteorological service has a number of weather warnings, with up to 100mm of rain expected to fall within 12 hours north of Valencia.
Have you been affected by this? Get in touch at athena.stavrou@independent.co.uk.
Pictured: Dana storm leaves destroyed towns and hundred of displaced
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.
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.
Pictured: Military deployed to assist rescue teams in Valencia
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."
In pictures: Heavy floods leave cars piled up on the streets of Valencia
Watch: Moment bridge falls apart due to strong floods in
The intense rainfall caused by the recent dana storm in Spain has triggered a series of incidents that have kept residents on high alert since Tuesday.
Among the most striking scenes is the collapse of a bridge in a key area of Valencia.
The force of the water swept away the structure in the area of Picanya.
Pictured: Barcelona under high alert for flooding and heavy rains
High-speed trains between Madrid and Valencia cancelled for the next 4 days
Spain’s transport minister Óscar Puente has announced the high-speed rail services (AVE) between Madrid and Valencia will be cancelled for at least the next four days.
In a message on X, he said: “The damage to the high-speed rail service between Madrid and Valencia is significant.
“Resuming service within the next four days does not seem possible.
“Once we have a definitive assessment of the time needed to restore the line, we will make it public.”
Heavy rain floods streets and areas of Jerez
The dana weather system affecting much of Spain has caused flooding in various parts of the city of Jerez this afternoon.
Streets in the city centre, such as Provera, Larga, and Honda, have been inundated,
The floods have displaced containers and impacted vehicles on streets and under bridges that have been submerged.
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