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Floods in Valencia kill 72 people


 

Local authorities said that at least 72 individuals lost their lives in the most catastrophic floods to afflict Spain in thirty years, when torrential rain inundated the eastern province of Valencia, destroying bridges and buildings.

FLOODING DAMAGES AGRICULTURAL LAND, AFFECTING TWO-THIRDS OF CITRUS PRODUCTION

Meteorologists reported that a year’s worth of rainfall poured within eight hours in certain areas of Valencia on Tuesday, resulting in traffic accidents on roads and overflowing agricultural land in a region responsible for two-thirds of Spain’s citrus production, a prominent global exporter.

In the most severely affected areas, residents reported witnessing individuals scrambling onto the roofs of their vehicles as a turbulent surge of brown water filled the streets, overturning trees and sweeping away fragments of masonry from structures.

“It’s a river that came through,” said Denis Hlavaty, who waited for rescue on a ledge in the petrol station where he works in the regional capital. “The doors were torn away and I spent the night there, surrounded by water that was 2 metres (6.5-feet) deep.”

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez promised to rebuild infrastructure that had been destroyed and said in a televised address: “For those who at this moment are still looking for their loved ones, the whole of Spain weeps with you.”

Helicopter footage captured by rescue services revealed crumbled bridges and a jumble of vehicles and trucks atop one another on highways amid waterlogged farms near Valencia.

Officials reported that train connections to Madrid and Barcelona were cancelled because of flooding, and that schools and other significant operations were suspended in the most severely affected regions.

The power provider i-DE, a subsidiary of Iberdrola, Europe’s largest utility, reported that approximately 150,000 households in Valencia were without electricity.

Emergency services in the area advised residents to refrain from any transportation and to follow additional official instructions, while a military unit specialised in rescue operations was dispatched to assist local emergency personnel in some locations.

Source: Reuters

Bodies found as torrential rains slam Valencia,Spain


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