As the death toll passed 200 from floods this week that triggered the deadliest natural disaster in Spain’s recent history, southern regions were battered by more heavy downfalls on Friday, complicating an already strained rescue effort.
Valencia, the region that suffered the worst of the deluge, recorded 202 deaths, regional president Carlos Mazón said at a news conference at the disaster coordination center.
Three more people have died in neighboring regions, bringing the total of confirmed deaths to 205, according to the authorities. That toll was expected to rise as rescue workers continued to dig through sodden towns, clogged with mud and debris, making access extremely challenging.
Late Thursday and Friday, rains spread to other southern regions. Heavy rain fell overnight in Andalusia, with the western province of Huelva the worst hit. Residents were out celebrating Halloween when sheets of rain began to fall, local news media reported. The authorities urged people to stay home, and avoid celebrating All Saints Day on Friday, which is usually done by visiting a cemetery or church, warning of the risk of flooding.
“This Friday the most complicated situation will be in the southwest of the peninsula,” Rubén del Campo, spokesman for the national meteorological agency, said. “The instability will continue on Saturday.”
While the southwest of the country was on high alert, along the east coast rescue workers were still searching through piles of cars flung by floodwater and homes ripped through by mud. Rain continued on Friday, particularly in Castellón, north of the Valencia region; in Tarragona, in the southern Catalonia region; and on the Balearic Islands, off Spain’s east coast, according to the weather agency.
In Valencia, dozens were still missing. Among them were prominent business executives, older parents in nursing homes and young children trapped with their mothers, according to rolling coverage in Spanish media.
Ainhoa Rojas Mansilla watched as rescue workers combed through her neighborhood of Catarroja, outside the city of Valencia, where she was taking shelter with friends. Every time a member of the emergency military unit checked a vehicle, she was gripped with anxiety, she said.
“We are very uncertain every time someone enters a garage because we know there may be dead people trapped in the cars,” she said in a text message.
Despite the presence of some rescue workers, Ms. Mansilla, 20, said she felt unsafe, and wanted to see more police on the ground. Her family had all survived the flooding but they remained without water or electricity, and information about what to do in this disaster was inconsistent, she said.
In the wake of the huge damage suffered in Valencia, some residents have begun to blame the government for an insufficient response to the disaster. A video posted by the civil guard of a man caught stealing a bag of shoes caused public outrage. Many people sympathized with the man, who was barefoot as he waded through the mud. Spain’s police said they had arrested 50 people, while trying to secure storm-battered neighborhoods.
The natural disaster has also become a political test for Spain’s fragile coalition government. On Friday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will visit the national meteorological society’s office in Madrid, far from the worst-affected areas. Observers say it is a show of solidarity for the agency, which has faced criticism from political leaders who say its warnings came too late. Opposition leaders have blamed the government for centralizing response efforts.
Along with 1,200 officers from the national police, civil guard and other security forces, the military sent a further 500 soldiers to join the rescue effort, Spain’s defense ministry said.
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