Spain's deadliest floods in decades: Death toll reaches 205 as temporary morgue opens
A citizen army has mobilised with buckets, mops and shovels to help where they can in the suburbs of Valencia, ITV News Europe Editor James Mates reports
The death toll of Spain's deadliest floods in decades has risen to 205 as emergency services continue to search for bodies stuck in cars and buildings, Spanish officials have said.
In the eastern province of Valencia alone, 202 deaths have been reported, while a further two people were confirmed dead in the neighbouring Castilla La Mancha region on Wednesday and with another person in southern Andalusia.
A courthouse in Valencia has been converted into a temporary morgue to accommodate the dead, while search operations continue for those still missing across affected areas.
As Spain reels from the devastation caused by the rain, more bad weather is forecast for the weekend.
Spain's weather agency AEMET issued orange and yellow alerts for southwestern and eastern regions of the country on Friday.
An "extreme" red weather alert was in place for Huelva province, but this has since been lifted.
This week, a year's worth of rain fell in just hours in the country's southern and eastern regions, sweeping away cars, destroying homes, and leaving residents to salvage what they could after the monstrous floods.
Cars were piled on one another like fallen dominoes, uprooted trees, downed power lines and household items all mired in mud that covered streets in dozens of communities in Valencia.
“We are searching house by house,” Ángel Martínez, one of 1,000 soldiers helping with rescue efforts told Spain’s national radio RNE from the town of Utiel, where at least six people died.
Part of the reason Spain was hit so hard by the devastating floods was that the country had suffered through a two-year drought. This had left the ground too hard to absorb the rain, leading to flash floods.
Three days of mourning were declared on Thursday and a minute's silence will be observed before all football matches in Spain this weekend
Valencia's clash with Real Madrid has been postponed due to the devastation that has been wrought on the city.
The eastern province of Castellón experienced up to 180 mm (7 in) of rain on Thursday, leading to cars driving on flooded roads.
ITV News Science Correspondent Martin Stew explains why extreme weather is becoming more frequent
Trains have been suspended in Valencia, as have other major public services in other affected regions. Schools, museums, and public libraries were closed into Thursday, according to the local government.
In Utiel, one of the worst-affected towns of the Valencia region, the suffering is palpable.
“My father is going to be 100 years old now and he doesn’t remember a flood like that. It was terrifying to be here,” José Platero, a 69-year-old resident, told ITV News' US partner CNN. “We found him looking for personal belongings near his home.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Thursday that the UK “stands with Spain during this difficult time”.
"My thoughts are with those who have lost their lives, their families and all those affected by the devastation caused by the extreme flooding in Spain," he wrote on X.
More than 1,000 members of the military have been deployed to assist in rescue efforts, Spanish defence minister Margarita Robles announced.
However, some areas can only be reached by helicopter.
As search and rescue operations continue, thousands in Valencia's suburbs are still without power and running water.
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