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The Spanish government has declared the nation will mark three days of mourning in tribute to the victims of the worst flooding disaster to hit Spain in almost three decades.
At least 63 people died in flash flooding that impacted parts of south-eastern Spain after torrential rains on Tuesday which left roads and towns inundated, according to local authorities.
Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia initially confirmed a death toll of 51 on Wednesday, before the central government office for the Castilla-La Mancha region announced an 88-year-old woman had been found dead in the city of Cuenca.
Rainstorms on Tuesday caused flooding across a stretch of southern and eastern Spain reaching from Malaga to Valencia. Mud-coloured water tumbled vehicles down streets at high speeds and picked up pieces of wood and other debris including household items.
The higher-than-expected rainfall totals come after Spain has weathered drought-like conditions. (AP: Gregorio Marrero)
Authorities in the worst-hit areas have advised residents to stay inside their homes and avoid all non-essential travel as torrential rain continues to inundate roads and towns in Spain's southern and eastern regions.
The death toll will likely rise with other regions yet to report victims and search efforts continuing in areas with difficult access.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has set up a crisis committee within government that met for the first time late on Tuesday to overlook the emergency response to the flooding.
That committee held another meeting on Wednesday to agree on the days of national mourning, and Mr Sanchez confirmed he would visit affected areas in the Valencia region.
Piles of household debris and other rubble were swept up in floodwaters and intense weather over an area of south-eastern Spain spanning hundreds of kilometres. (Reuters: Eva Manez)
'Devastating episode is not over'
Mr Sanchez held a press conference earlier on Wednesday to address the ongoing rescue and recovery efforts and urged residents in impacted areas to take extreme precautions for their own safety.
"As you know, yesterday our country was hit by the worst [flooding] so far this century. Dozens of municipalities have been flooded, roads and highways have been cut off, bridges have been destroyed by the violence of the waters," Mr Sanchez said.
Spain will officially mark three days of mourning in tribute to the victims of widespread flash flooding. (Reuters: Susana Vera)
"We cannot yet consider this devastating episode to be over. Today, as you know, there is an Orange warning in both Andalusia and the Valencian Community. In Aragon, Castilla y Leon, Catalonia, Extremadura, Navarra, La Rioja, and Ceuta, in short, all these communities have a Yellow warning according to the latest update from the Spanish Meteorological Agency.
"That is why I ask those who live there to take extreme precautions … In short, that no one puts their life at risk.
"For those who at this moment are still looking for their loved ones, the whole of Spain weeps with you.
"To the villages and cities destroyed by this tragedy, I say the same: Together, we will rebuild your streets, your squares, your bridges."
Recovery efforts uncover trail of destruction
President of the Valencia region, Carlós Mazón, said earlier on Tuesday that an unspecified number of bodies had been found in flood-impacted areas, but did not provide a number to local reporters "out of respect for the families".
"We are facing an unprecedented situation, which nobody remembers," Mr Mazon said.
Spain's Guardia Civil has since confirmed personnel from the Command Operations Centre recovered the bodies of five people in Torrent, including a couple, two children and a baby.
Another two men, a woman and a baby were found dead in Paiporta, a man's body was found in Chiva, one person's body was found in Cheste, a woman's body was found in Alfafar and a man was found dead in Alcudia.
Police and military rescue efforts are underway in Spain to help residents trapped in homes and cars due to rising floodwaters. (AP: Víctor Fernández/Europa Press)
The government office for the Castilla La Mancha region told radio channel Cadena Ser that six people in the region were missing, while Spanish news agency EFE said one truck driver was missing in L'Alcudia, a town in Valencia.
Images taken by residents on smartphones and broadcast by TVE have shown swift floodwaters carrying cars and rising into the lower level of homes.
Dozens of videos shared on online also appeared to show people trapped by the floodwaters, with some climbing into trees to avoid being swept away.
A high-speed train with nearly 300 people on board derailed near Malaga during a high-speed service from Valencia City, although rail authorities said no one was hurt.
Roads in multiple cities in Spain's south-eastern regions have been left inundated by unprecedented flooding rains. (AP: Gregorio Marrero)
Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people who were in danger of drowning from submerged homes and cars, and an emergency rescue brigade of 1,000 soldiers from Spain's army was deployed to bolster the efforts.
One elderly couple was rescued from the upper story of their house by a military unit using a bulldozer, with three soldiers accompanying them.
Rescue helicopters have been pulling Spanish residents in danger of drowning from rising floodwaters. (AP: Gregorio Marrero)
Valencia city hall said all school classes and sports events were suspended on Wednesday, and parks would remain closed.
Twelve flights that were due to land at Valencia airport were diverted to other cities in Spain, according to Spanish airport operator Aena.
Another 10 flights that were due to depart or arrive at the airport were cancelled.
Authorities in the worst-hit areas have been advising residents to stay inside their homes or to avoid all non-essential travel during the floods. (AP: Alberto Saiz)
National rail infrastructure operator ADIF said it had suspended all rail services in the Valencia region "until the situation returns to normal for the safety of passengers".
Parts of the Valencia region remain without power and phone lines are down, Mr Mazon said.
Intense storms were forecast to continue through until Thursday, according to Spain's national weather service.
Spanish authorities expect the death toll from the flash flooding to continue to rise as the trail of destruction from the emergency is revealed. (AP: Alberto Saiz)
Spain's state weather agency AEMET has declared a red alert in the Valencia region, with areas like Turis and Utiel recording as much as 200 mm of rain.
Worst Spanish flooding in decades
The death toll appeared to be the worst in Europe from flooding since 2021 when almost 200 people died, mainly in Germany.
It is the worst flood-related disaster in Spain since 1996, when 87 people died near in a town in the Pyrenees mountains.
"Yesterday was the worst day of my life," Ricardo Gabaldón, the mayor of Utiel said.
"We were trapped like rats. Cars and trash containers were flowing down the streets. The water was rising to three meters."
In the Spanish parliament, the Speaker of the Spanish Congress of Deputies, Francina Armengol, called for a minute's silence to be observed for the "already numerous" victims of the flooding, their families, for citizens living through "complicated" moments, and in support of emergency services working to rescue victims.
Spanish King, Felipe VI, also said he is "devastated" by the emergency situation, in a statement released on Wednesday.
"Alongside the Queen, we want to express our condolences to all families that have lost loved ones. In some cases, they don't know yet what has happened to their relatives," the King said.
"I wanted to have this opportunity to publicly express my desolation and worries regarding the tragedy that took place last night and that it could keep happening today.
The rural town of Letur, between Valencia and Malaga in Spain, was severely impacted by floodwaters during the intense weather. (Reuters: Susana Vera)
"The main thing is to express my condolences and share my grief with so many human lives that have been lost."
"It calms me to know that all available resources are now working alongside the local authorities and emergency services. All the resources from both the autonomous regions and the central government, from UME and the armed forces, emergency services, firefighters, et cetera. They are all at work."
Spain has experienced similar autumn storms in recent years, and has recovered from a severe drought this year due to higher-than-expected rainfall. Scientists say that increased episodes of extreme weather are likely linked to climate change.