Spain is braced for more potential deaths as rescuers worked through the sixth day of response to its worst flooding in decades. The confirmed death toll rose to 218, primarily in the Valencia region, with an unknown number still missing.
Around 17,000 military and emergency personnel distributed aid, restored power and searched debris-filled areas with machinery, drones, and sniffer dogs.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez called it Spain’s largest peacetime deployment of the armed forces. However, relief efforts have faced criticism over response speed and communication.
Many victims were trapped in underground garages or caught unawares on roads, and a lack of timely warnings has drawn scrutiny.
Meanwhile, in Catalonia, heavy rains created further chaos, forcing the cancellation of 153 flights at Barcelona’s El Prat airport and the suspension of some metro and train services. Scientists have linked Spain’s worsening storms to climate change, while local residents voiced frustration over inadequate preparation for extreme weather events.
