Death toll in Spain’s catastrophic floods rises to 158: Latest updates
Photo: Flooding in Spain in October 2024 (Getty Images)
The death toll from Spain’s most powerful flood in four decades continues to climb. Rescue workers have recovered the bodies of 158 people from beneath the wreckage, but they warn that the final count could be much higher, according to the Associated Press.
Rescue teams are still searching for victims in flooded cars and destroyed buildings after the catastrophic flood that swept across eastern Spain. The disaster, which claimed the lives of at least 158 people, including 155 in Valencia, has become the largest natural tragedy in the nation’s modern history.
The flooding, which began on Tuesday evening and lasted until Wednesday, left behind devastated streets covered in mud, scattered car debris, and uprooted trees. Torrents of fast-moving water turned narrow streets into deadly traps, obliterating bridges and roads, making them unrecognizable.
While the exact number of missing persons remains unknown, the death toll is expected to rise. Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente confirmed that bodies have been found in many submerged vehicles. Helicopter teams have rescued around 70 people from rooftops and cars, but ground crews are still actively searching.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, following a meeting with emergency services in Valencia, has declared three days of official mourning and extended condolences to the families of the victims.
