Videos show people trapped in floodwater – some hanging on to trees to avoid being swept away – as Spain reels from what’s being called its worst natural disaster in decades.
The number of people killed in floods in Spain has risen to at least 95, with a British man now confirmed among the dead.
Cars were swept through streets and numerous buildings damaged as some places reportedly got half a year’s rain in a matter of hours.
Ninety-two people were killed in the eastern Valencia region and two in the central Castilla La Mancha area.
Meanwhile, a 71-year-old British man died in hospital after being rescued from his home in Alhaurin de la Torre, near the southern city of Malaga.
He was suffering hypothermia and died after several cardiac arrests, said the president of the Andalucia government.
Authorities in the worst-hit areas – in Spain’s east and south – had advised people to stay at home and avoid all non-essential travel.
Valencia’s regional authorities said early on Wednesday evening that the number of dead had risen to at least 92. The fatalities include children.
Authorities in Castilla La Mancha said the two people killed there included an 88-year-old woman found dead in the city of Cuenca.
In Letur, near the Sierra de Segura mountain range, 30 people were trapped after the river running through the town burst its banks.
The local mayor, Sergio Marin Sanchez, said six people in the region were missing.
Dozens of videos on social media appeared to show people trapped in floodwater, several of them hanging on to trees to avoid being swept away.
Helicopters were used to rescue some people from their homes.
Other videos shared by Spanish broadcasters showed water rising into the lower levels of homes and carrying cars through the street.
PM warns of more storms
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a news conference that “we are united and we will rebuild your streets and your squares and bridges”, telling those affected: “Spain will be with you.”
He said the government’s crisis committee would work “hand in hand” with local authorities and town mayors for “24 hours a day, as long as the emergency goes on”.
However, he cautioned that the “devastating event” may not be over, as forecasters predict further storms into Thursday.
