The situation could get worse again. At least 158 people have died in apocalyptic floods that hit southeastern Spain this week. If the situation has calmed in the Valencia region, the most affected by the precipitation, it has worsened on the Huelva coast.
A “red alert” (maximum alert level synonymous with extreme risk) was issued on the night of Thursday October 31 to Friday November 1 by the National Meteorological Agency (Aemet), due to heavy rain in the region from Huelva, Andévalo and Condado, at least until nine in the morning.
An orange alert is still in effect in several areas, in Mallorca and Menorca, on the southern and pre-coastal coast of Tarragona and in the northern interior, the northern coast and the southern coast of Castellón.
Several dozen missing
In total, 155 deaths took place in the Valencia region alone, by far the most bereaved by the torrents of mud which devastated the south-eastern part of the country on Tuesday evening and during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. To which must be added two deaths in the neighboring province of Castile-La Mancha and one in Andalusia.
The previous report, which dated from Wednesday evening, reported 95 deaths, but the authorities had made no secret of the fact that the worst had to be expected, without however giving any indication of the number of people missing.
For the first time, the Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, put forward an estimate on this subject, declaring during a press conference in Madrid that on Thursday evening there were “dozens and dozens” of missing people. .
More than 1,200 soldiers deployed
Visiting Valencia, capital of the eponymous region, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez assured that the episode of bad weather was “not over” and called on the inhabitants of this region to “stay at home” and “not to go out “.
He was referring to a “red alert” (maximum alert level synonymous with extreme risk) launched Thursday morning by the National Meteorological Agency (Aemet) for certain areas of the province of Castellón, located just north of that of Valencia , where heavy rains fell. However, the alert was lifted in the afternoon, moving to orange, which reflects a reduction in the danger.
Ángel Víctor Torres also announced that the central government had agreed to make available to the regional government “all the resources of the army” to open roads and reach “every corner” of the affected area, which suggests that some villages are still cut off from the world.
He also indicated that 39 people had been arrested and that “in the face of looting and crimes”, the security forces would demonstrate “absolute firmness”. More than 1,200 soldiers are already deployed on the ground, mainly in the Valencia region, alongside firefighters, police and rescue workers. According to authorities, thousands of people are still without electricity in the region.
