Spain floods death toll rises to 158 as rescuers search for survivors
Al Jazeera
At least 155 deaths recorded in the eastern region of Valencia, two in Castilla-La Mancha and one in Andalusia.
The death toll from Spain’s worst floods in decades has soared to 158, emergency services and officials say, as rescue services work frantically to find survivors.
The body coordinating rescue work in the eastern region of Valencia announced on Thursday that 155 bodies had been recovered there. Officials in Castilla-La Mancha in central Spain reported two deaths, and Andalusia in the south announced one.
The widespread damage resembled the aftermath of a hurricane or tsunami. Cars were piled on top of one another like fallen dominoes. Uprooted trees, downed power lines and household items were all mired in mud that covered streets in dozens of communities in Valencia. The floods demolished bridges and left roads unrecognisable.
Local authorities have not disclosed how many people are still unaccounted, and Defence Minister Margarita Robles said the final national death toll could be much greater.
Opposition politicians accused the central government in Madrid of acting too slowly to warn residents and send in rescue teams, prompting the Ministry of Interior to say regional authorities were responsible for civil protection measures.
