Flash floods in Spain’s Valencia kill 158

Devastating flash floods in Spain's Valencia region have claimed 158 lives, marking the country's worst flood-related disaster in modern history. The catastrophe occurred when a year's worth of rain fell in just eight hours, causing widespread destruction across the region.

Rescue teams continue searching for missing persons in what could become Europe's most severe storm-related disaster in over 50 years, surpassing the 2021 German floods that killed 185 people. Defence Minister Margarita Robles warned that the death toll could rise further.

The floods have caused extensive damage to Valencia's infrastructure, destroying bridges, roads, and rail tracks. Transport Minister Oscar Puente reported that approximately 80 kilometers of roads are seriously damaged or impassable, with many blocked by abandoned vehicles. The disaster has also submerged vast areas of farmland in a region responsible for producing about two-thirds of Spain's citrus exports.

Clean-up operations are underway in affected areas like Paiporta, where residents are using water pumps and tractors to clear debris. Streets remain covered in mud, with ruined furniture and appliances piling up on roadsides. In Torrent, another suburb of Valencia, residents described the horror of the flooding's aftermath.

Thousands of people were seen crossing the Turia River via a pedestrian bridge from La Torre into Valencia city center to obtain essential supplies.

Meteorologists attribute the increased frequency and destructiveness of such extreme weather events to human-driven climate change. As the region grapples with the aftermath, forecasts of more adverse weather have prompted storm alerts in northern areas.