Spain searches for flood victims as storms continue

Madrid/Valencia, Nov 4 (EFE).- Spain held its breath Monday as storms continued while aid delivery, debris removal and the search for missing people resumed following devastating flash flooding.

Although the worst of the bad weather appeared to have left the Valencian Community, storms in the Mediterranean were forecast to continue for the next few days.

Provisional figures show a total of 210 people have died in the province of Valencia, three in the community of Castilla-La Mancha – with a search underway for four missing in the Albacete town of Letur – and one dead in Andalusia.

In northeastern Catalonia, several areas were under orange alert (significant risk), mobile phone alerts sounded in the Barcelona region of Baix Llobregat, the Rodalíes railway service was interrupted and Barcelona’s El Prat airport was experiencing widespread delays.

More soldiers, civil guard personnel

Emergency services resumed work Monday in flooded areas, while the navy ship Galicia arrived in Valencia with more than 100 marines, trucks with food and water, support materials and two helicopters to add to the 7,500 soldiers working in the area and the numerous rescue and emergency teams.

The Civil Guard, which also increased its personnel to over 5,000, reported that it had carried out more than 36,000 rescue and assistance operations and arrested 35 people for crimes related to looting and pillaging

Following the incidents and altercations that occurred in the Valencian town of Paiporta, one of the most affected by the floods, the king was on Monday chairing the Crisis Committee at the headquarters of the Military Emergencies Unit, a meeting also attended by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and ministers.

While the search for missing people intensified, with the focus on underground car parks, workers were also striving to restore communications infrastructure, but several roads in the provinces of Valencia and Castellón remained impassable.

Valencia started the week without school or university classes and with a call for teleworking where possible. Following the long weekend, which prompted thousands of people to volunteer their help, on Monday that number dropped significantly.

Castellón, Tarragona and Barcelona awoke to an orange alert due to the forecast of very heavy rainfall, however hours later the State meteorological agency declared the weather crisis over after the passage of the flood through the Valencian Community.

Alerts and suspensions

Civil Protection sent an alert to mobile phones in Baix Llobregat, Catalonia, due to the ongoing torrential rains in the Barcelona region, and asked citizens to take extreme precautions, avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from streams and ravines.

The Rodalies de Cataluña rail service was completely suspended throughout the country, and Renfe reported that only trains already in circulation would continue their journey so they could reach their destinations.

El Prat airport in Barcelona was also experiencing widespread delays due to a strong storm hitting the area and on Sunday night an order came into force to restrict the transit of trucks to or from Valencia outside the hours of 10 pm to 7 am – a limitation that does not include the transport of essential supplies. EFE

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