BARCELONA, Spain –
At least 51 people have died in Spain’s eastern region of Valencia after flash floods swept away cars, turned village streets into rivers and disrupted rail lines and highways in the worst natural disaster to hit the European nation in recent memory.
Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia confirmed the death toll on Wednesday.
Rainstorms on Tuesday caused flooding in a wide swath of southern and eastern Spain. Floods of mud-coloured water tumbled vehicles down streets at frightening speeds. Pieces of wood swirled with household articles. Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people from their homes and cars.
Authorities reported several missing people late Tuesday, but the following morning brought the shocking announcement of dozens found dead.
Over 1,000 soldiers from Spain’s emergency response units were deployed to the devastated areas.
“Yesterday was the worst day of my life,” Ricardo Gabaldon, the mayor of Utiel, a town in Valencia, told national broadcaster RTVE. He said several people were still missing in his town.
“We were trapped like rats. Cars and trash containers were flowing down the streets. The water was rising to three metres,” he said.
Spain has experienced similar autumn storms in recent years, but nothing compared to the devastation over the last two days.
The death toll could easily rise with other regions yet to report victims and search efforts continuing in areas with difficult access. In the village of Letur in the neighbouring Castilla La Mancha region, Mayor Sergio Marin Sanchez said six people were missing.
A high-speed train with nearly 300 people on board derailed near Malaga, although rail authorities said no one was hurt. High-speed train service between Valencia city and Madrid was interrupted, as were several commuter lines.
Valencian regional President Carlos Mazon urged people to stay at home so as not to complicate rescue efforts, with travel by road already difficult due to fallen trees and wrecked vehicles.
“The neighbourhood is destroyed, all the cars are on top of each other, it’s literally smashed up,” Christian Viena, a bar owner in the Valencian village of Barrio de la Torre, said by phone. “Everything is a total wreck, everything is ready to be thrown away. The mud is almost 30 centimetres deep.”
Spain’s central government set up a crisis committee to help coordinate rescue efforts.
The rain had subsided in Valencia by late Wednesday morning. But more storms were forecast through Thursday, according to Spain’s national weather service.
Spain is still recovering from a severe drought earlier this year. Scientists say increased episodes of extreme weather are likely linked to climate change.
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Associated Press journalist Teresa Medrano in Madrid contributed to this report.