At least 51 people have lost their lives in eastern Spain's Valencia region following flash floods there on Tuesday, authorities said.
Addressing a press conference, Carlos Mazon, the regional President, said some people remained isolated in inaccessible locations.
“If the emergency services have not arrived, it's not due to a lack of means, but a problem of access. Reaching some areas is ‘absolutely impossible’,” Mazon stated.
Ricardo Gabaldon, the mayor of Utiel, a town in Valencia, recalled 'the worst day of my life.’
“We were trapped like rats. Cars and trash containers were flowing down the streets. The water was rising to three meters,” Gabaldon added.
What led to the flash floods?
Torrential rains led to flash floods that swept away cars, disrupted rail lines and highways, and left roads and towns under water. In videos circulating on social media, people could be seen climbing trees to avoid being swept away.
This is also being described as the worst natural disaster to hit the European nation in recent years.
What is the current situation?
The rain subsided on Wednesday evening in Valencia. However, Spain's national weather agency AEMET has declared a red alert for the country's major citrus-growing region; schools and other essential services were suspended in the worst-hit areas. Additionally, train services to capital Madrid and Barcelona, the largest and second-largest cities, respectively, were cancelled.
More than 1000 soldiers from Spain's emergency response units were deployed for relief and rescue operations. The national government has set up a crisis committee to help coordinate rescue efforts.
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