Spain Dreads More Flood Deaths On Day Six Of Rescue

AFP/APP

Valencia: Thousands of rescuers pumped water from submerged buildings, churned through muddy streets and cleared debris on Monday as Spain braced for more deaths from its worst floods in decades.

The toll stands at 218 dead — all but four in the eastern Valencia region after authorities revised the total from 217 late Monday — and could spike in the coming days as an unknown number of people remain missing.

Around 17,000 soldiers, police officers, civil guards and firefighters spent a sixth day distributing aid, repairing infrastructure and searching for bodies using heavy machinery, drones and sniffer dogs.

Roads and railways were gradually being repaired, while 60 percent of the telephone network had been restored, government minister Angel Victor Torres told reporters.

Almost all the power grid was back up and 93 percent of the affected population has access to the gas network, said Rosa Touris, spokeswoman for the body coordinating rescue work in the Valencia region.

Divers on Monday concentrated their search for missing bodies in garages and a multi-storey car park in the town of Aldaia.

The structure is full of “millions of litres” of water and a morgue capable of holding 400 bodies is being prepared, said General Javier Marcos, head of the army’s emergencies unit.

“To begin with a morgue was set up for around 100 victims — but we quickly understood that would be insufficient,” Marcos said.

Authorities meanwhile authorised the release of around 50 recovered bodies to their families, Valencia’s high court posted on X.

The storm caught many victims in their vehicles on roads and in underground spaces such as car parks, tunnels and garages where rescue operations are particularly difficult.

Authorities in Valencia extended travel restrictions for another two days, cancelled classes and urged residents to work from home to facilitate the work of the emergency services.