Extra 500 troops deployed to Spain amid ongoing search for flood victims

Spain intensified efforts on Friday to locate dozens still missing after deadly floods claimed 158 lives, with hopes of finding survivors dimming as rescue crews entered a third day of searching.

The floods have ravaged eastern Spain, particularly in Valencia, marking the country's deadliest such disaster in decades. Vehicles were swept away, bridges collapsed, and towns were coated in mud as rescuers, aided by drones and sniffer dogs, combed through debris. Authorities are deploying an additional 500 troops to join the 1,200 already engaged in search and rescue operations.

Three days after the storm, some cut-off areas remain without access to water, food, or electricity, and many roads and rail lines are impassable, prompting fears the death toll could rise. In Chiva, a town in Valencia, Mayor Amparo Fort described mountains of submerged vehicles. “Many must be empty, but we are sure others are occupied,” Fort told public radio.

In the town of Aldaia, locals witnessed looting in the wake of the disaster. “People are a bit desperate,” Fernando Lozano told AFP, describing thefts at a closed supermarket. Authorities have since arrested 39 people, with Government Minister Ángel Víctor Torres pledging swift action against looters and those obstructing emergency responders.

Spain’s meteorological agency, AEMET, reported 491 millimeters (19.3 inches) of rainfall in Chiva over eight hours on Tuesday, nearly the region's annual average. On Friday, AEMET issued severe weather alerts for parts of Andalusia, Valencia, and Catalonia as torrential rains continued.

Scientists note that while storms of this kind are typical for Mediterranean autumns, the intensity and frequency of extreme weather are increasing due to climate change.

[Information sourced from France 24]