At least 52 people killed as heavy rains, flash floods slam Spain

At least 52 people have died in Spain’s eastern region of Valencia after flash floods swept away cars, turned village streets into rivers and disrupted rail lines and highways in the worst natural disaster to hit the European nation in recent memory.Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia confirmed the death toll on Wednesday.The central government office for Castilla La Mancha region added that an 88-year-old woman was found dead in the city of Cuenca.
Rainstorms on Tuesday caused flooding in a wide swath of southern and eastern Spain, stretching from Malaga to Valencia. Floods of mud-colored water tumbled vehicles down streets at high speeds, while pieces of wood swirled in the water with household items. Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people from their homes and rubber boats to reach drivers trapped on the roofs of cars.

BREAKING: At least 51 people have been killed in Spain after flash floods struck parts of the country, sweeping cars through streets and damaging homes pic.twitter.com/mUty4abzAK

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Over 1,000 soldiers from Spain’s emergency response units were deployed to the devastated areas. Rescue services were also rushing eastwards from other parts of Spain. Spain’s central government set up a crisis committee to help coordinate rescue efforts. One elderly couple was rescued from the upper story of their house by a military unit using a bulldozer, with three soldiers accompanying them in the huge shovel.
The death toll could rise with other regions yet to report victims and search efforts continuing in areas with difficult access. In the village of Letur in the neighboring Castilla La Mancha region, Mayor Sergio Marín Sánchez said six people were missing. Spain’s central government set up a crisis committee to help coordinate rescue efforts.The rain had subsided in Valencia by late Wednesday morning. But more storms were forecast through Thursday, according to Spain’s national weather service.Spain is still recovering from a severe drought earlier this year. Scientists say increased episodes of extreme weather are likely linked to climate change.