Dozens of people have died and several are missing as eastern and southern Spain face one of the worst natural disasters to hit the European nation in recent years.

The death toll has climbed to 62 after devastating storms swept through southern and eastern Spain.

Regional emergency services reported the mounting toll as rescue workers discovered additional bodies Wednesday in Valencia.

“Dead bodies have been found,” confirmed Carlos Mazon, head of Valencia’s regional government, who declined to provide further details out of respect for victims’ families.

Torrential rains lashed several parts of southeastern Spain, causing flash floods that swept roads and towns on Tuesday.

Authorities prompted residents to take shelter at home and issued red alerts in the eastern Valencia region, with some areas, such as Turis and Utiel, recording 200 mm (7.9 inches) of rainfall.

Emergency rescues underway
Dozens of videos circulating on social media showed people stuck in floodwaters, with many clinging to trees to avoid being swept away.

The flash floods swept cars off roads, disrupted rail service in large swathes of eastern Spain, and interrupted flight operations. The storms also left parts of Valencia without power.

“Yesterday was the worst day of my life,” Ricardo Gabaldón, 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 meters,” he said.

Police and rescue workers airlifted people facing the threat of drowning. Authorities also deployed an emergency rescue brigade of Spain’s army to expedite the rescue efforts.

Speaking from Spain, DW reporter Nicole Ris said the damage caused by the floods had exacerbated the challenge facing rescuers.

“Communications have broken down, streets, and motorways have been washed away,” said Ris. “Bridges are gone because of these masses of water.”

“They’re trying to rescue people with helicopters and you and imagine that while this is effective, it’s slower than being able to access via streets through the towns with vehicles. This really is a problem for them.”

A high-speed train with nearly 300 people on board derailed near Malaga, although rail authorities confirmed no passengers were hurt.

Spain’s national rail operator said it had suspended all rail services in the Valencia region “until the situation returns to normal for the safety of passengers.”

Schools and sporting events were shut on Wednesday, and parks remained closed.

Over 1,000 emergency response troops were deployed to the affected areas.

Credit: DW News