At least 62 people have been killed after heavy rainfall led to flash flooding in eastern Spain Tuesday, leaving roads and towns underwater, local authorities said Wednesday.
Rescuers using dinghies worked in the dark to scour the floodwaters in Valencia, rescuing several people, television pictures from the town of Utiel showed, and emergency services were still working to reach the worst-hit areas.
Carlos Mazon, the regional leader of Valencia, one of Spain’s most important agricultural regions, said some people remained isolated in inaccessible locations.
“For those who at this moment are still looking for their loved ones, the whole of Spain weeps with you,” Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a televised address.
“To the villages and cities destroyed by this tragedy, I say the same: Together, we will rebuild your streets, your squares, your bridges,” he said.
“If (emergency services) have not arrived, it’s not due to a lack of means or predisposition, but a problem of access,” Mazon told a press conference, adding that reaching certain areas was “absolutely impossible.”
Dozens of videos shared on social media overnight appeared to show people trapped by the floodwaters, with some climbing into trees to avoid being swept away. Footage showed rescue workers transporting several women in a bulldozer’s bucket.
Trains to the cities of Madrid and Barcelona were canceled due to the flooding, and schools and other essential services were suspended in the worst-hit areas, officials said.
According to Spain’s meteorological agency, the area saw about 40 to 50 gallons of rain per square yard, and forecasters said the storm was moving to the north and northwest of Spain. The rain is expected to continue until at least Thursday.
Aftermath photos of the floods in Valencia, Spain
