Spain floods: Rescuers search for missing as death toll hits 158

The storm has been Spain’s deadliest natural disaster in living memory, claiming the lives of scores of people and leaving scenes of utter devastation
Emergency service crews are continuing the search for bodies stuck in cars and buildings after flash floods have left at least 158 people dead across Spain.
A year’s worth of rain fell in just hours this week in the country’s southern and eastern regions, sweeping away cars, destroying homes and leaving residents to salvage what they could after the monstrous floods.
An unknown number of people are still missing and more victims could be found.
Cars were piled on one another like fallen dominoes, uprooted trees, downed power lines and household items all mired in mud that covered streets in dozens of communities in Valencia, a region south of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast.
Most of the deaths that have been recorded have been in Valencia, with at least 155 people being killed in the province alone.
“We are searching house by house,” Ángel Martínez, one of 1,000 soldiers helping with rescue efforts told Spain’s national radio RNE from the town of Utiel, where at least six people died.
As Spain reels from the devastation caused by the rain, more bad weather is forecast for over the weekend. Spanish weather agency AEMET has issued a red weather alert for the province of Huelva.
Part of the reason Spain was hit so hard by the devastating floods was that the country had suffered through a two-year drought. This had left the ground too hard to absorb the rain, leading to flash floods.
Three days of mourning were declared on Thursday and a minute’s silence will be observed before all football matches in Spain this weekend.
Valencia’s clash with Real Madrid has been postponed due to the devastation that has been wrought on the city.
Trains have been suspended in Valencia, as have other major public services in other affected regions. Schools, museums, and public libraries were closed into Thursday, according to the local government.
In Utiel, one of the worst-affected towns of the Valencia region, the suffering is palpable.
“My father is going to be 100 years old now and he doesn’t remember a flood like that. It was terrifying to be here,” José Platero, a 69-year-old resident, told ITV News’ US partner CNN. “We found him looking for personal belongings near his home.”
More than 1,000 members of the military have been deployed to assist in rescue efforts, Spanish defence minister Margarita Robles announced.
However, some areas can only be reached by helicopter.
Thousands in Valencia’s suburbs are still without power and running water, as search and rescue operations continue.
Orange and yellow warnings remain in place for isolated parts of Valencia.
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