Spain floods: Death toll passes 150 as more bad weather prompts storm alerts in the north

Death toll in Spain expected to rise beyond 150 as some areas remain inaccessible to rescuers

Officials in the stricken eastern region of Valencia said 155 bodies had been recovered
Officials in the stricken eastern region of Valencia said 155 bodies had been recovered

The death toll from devastating floods in eastern Spain has risen to 158, regional authorities and emergency services have said.

With forecasts of more bad weather prompting storm alerts farther north, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez urged residents on Thursday to “please, follow the calls of the emergency services… right now, the most important thing is to save as many lives as possible.”

Officials in the stricken eastern region of Valencia said 155 bodies had been recovered there, with three deaths also reported from the Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia regions. The toll makes the disaster the deadliest episode of flooding in Spain’s modern history.

Authorities have not disclosed how many people are still unaccounted for but the defence minister, Margarita Robles, earlier said the death toll was expected to rise further given some areas remain inaccessible to rescuers.

Flags flew at half-mast on government buildings and a minute of silence was observed nationwide after the flash floods battered Valencia’s infrastructure, sweeping away bridges, roads and railway tracks and submerging farmland.

Survivors told of walls of rushing water that turned narrow streets into death traps and spawned torrents that poured into the ground floors and garages of houses and apartment blocks.

Angry people in several towns said mobile phone alerts had not been sent out until 8pm on Tuesday, when serious flooding had already started in some areas – and several hours after the national weather service, Aemet, had issued a red alert for exceptionally heavy rains.

Conservative opposition politicians have accused the socialist-led federal government of acting too slowly to warn people to get to safety, but the interior ministry said responsibility for civil protection measures lay with regional authorities.

Valencia’s conservative regional president, Carlos Mazón, defended his administration’s management of the crisis, saying the region’s officials had “followed the standard protocol”.

Spain’s national weather agency had alerted officials and the public via its website and social media on Sunday, two days before the tragedy struck, that there was a 70% chance of torrential rain ahead.

The agency then issued a red alert, the highest level of warning, early on Tuesday.

Emergency service workers and more than 1,200 troops combed through thick silt in mud-caked towns and villages on Thursday to find survivors and clear roads, while rescuers used helicopters to winch survivors to safety in areas that were still flooded.

“Our priority is to find the victims and the missing so we can help end the suffering of their families,” Sánchez said after visiting a rescue coordination centre and meeting with regional officials and emergency services in Valencia.

“This storm front is still with us,” Sánchez added. “Stay home and heed the official recommendation and you will help save lives.”