The Integrated Operational Coordination Center of the Valencian Community has raised the death toll to 92 due to the severe flooding caused by the Isolated High-Level Depression (DANA) in Spain, while three additional deaths have been reported: two in Castilla-La Mancha and one in Andalusia.
According to the Cope network, the process of recovery and identification of the victims is ongoing, while 104,000 people remain without electricity and 23,700 without gas, solely in the Valencia Community.
The media reported that around 1,200 people remain stranded at various points on the A-3 and A-7, and approximately 5,000 vehicles are blocked due to the flooding affecting the province of Valencia, according to the Civil Guard.
For this reason, the military emphasizes the importance of avoiding non-essential travel and the need to follow the directives of the authorities.
It is important to remember that the Generalitat Valenciana has provided the public with the phone number 900365112 to address inquiries regarding missing persons.
Rescue operations have continued since late last night, with emergency teams working in a complicated situation due to the collapse of numerous roads and failures in telecommunications services.
Through the social network X, the Guardia Civil stated that they are also working diligently in Albacete: "We continue to work on search efforts for missing individuals in Letur (Albacete) and terrain reconnaissance.”
Scenes of devastation and calls for caution
The effects of the DANA have left a trail of destruction: cars swept away by the current, destroyed bridges, rescues under extreme conditions, and material damages estimated in the millions of euros.
Social media has been flooded with images of people seeking refuge in high places to protect themselves from the flooding.
The situation has been described as "exceptional" by the State Meteorological Agency, which compared this DANA to the historical storms of 1987 and 1982, recalling the "Pantanada de Tous," a devastating event in the region.
The accumulated rainfall over 24 hours reached 445.4 l/m², the highest recorded since 1966 in the Comunidad Valenciana, according to the initial report provided by AEMET on social media platform X.
Government Measures and Messages of Support
The President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, appeared to express his support for the victims' families and reiterated that "all public administrations are coordinating their resources to assist those affected."
Sánchez also stated that Spain will utilize all possible resources, even requesting assistance from the European Union if necessary, to support the reconstruction of the devastated areas.
Likewise, the government declared three days of official mourning amid a tragedy that is deemed the third worst natural disaster in the history of the European nation.
Additionally, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced the activation of the Copernicus satellite system to aid in coordinating rescue efforts and to monitor the progress of the floods in real time.
What do you think?
COMMENTFiled under: