Six days after the floods which caused the death of at least 217 people in southern Spain, the country's meteorological agency assured that the “crisis” situation had ended. On the other hand, it placed Barcelona and its surrounding area on red alert this Monday, November 4.
Spain is not done with torrential rains. Barcelona and its surroundings were placed on red alert this Monday, November 4 while the Spanish meteorological agency that the situation of “crisis” is finished in Valencia, devastated by waters almost a week ago. Search operations continue in southern Spain where authorities fear discovering new victims. The number of deaths currently stands at 217 people.
In the greater Barcelona area, commuter train traffic has been suspended. Transport Minister Oscar Puente announced that a crisis committee has been established to monitor the impact of the storm on Barcelona-El Prat international airport. Around fifteen flights have so far been diverted, according to the authorities. Several floods have already been observed in areas such as parking lots, reports the newspaper The World, or on several roads around Barcelona. Tarragona, a port city in Catalonia, found itself underwater on the night of November 3 to 4. “The water started coming in and we couldn’t stop it. We were very scared because we thought it would be the same as in Valencia”residents of the city told the Catalan newspaper The Newspaper.
A still critical situation in Valencia
In the Valencia region, many residents are still missing. Many areas have not been explored. The authorities are particularly concerned about the situation of the underground parking lot in Bonaire, in a shopping center on the outskirts of Valencia. Nearly half of this 5,700-space basement is completely flooded. In recent days, the personnel of the Military Emergency Unit, which responds to natural disasters, have installed numerous pumps to begin evacuating the water. Divers have managed to penetrate the underground, without spotting any bodies so far.
In the localities most affected by the floods, anger and distress still prevail, six days after the tragedy. Many streets remain clogged with piles of cars, mud and trash. Homes are still without telephone or electricity.
On Sunday, the victims' feeling of helplessness turned into a flood of anger against King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and the conservative president of the Valencia region, Carlos Mazón, who had surrendered in Paiporta, a town considered the epicenter of the tragedy. An angry crowd greeted them with insults and mud throwing.
