The death toll from unprecedented flooding in southeastern Spain has reached at least 205, marking the worst disaster of its kind in recent history. According to the Integrated Coordination Center, 202 victims were confirmed in the Valencian Community, with two additional deaths reported in Castile-La Mancha and another involving a British man in Malaga, Andalusia.
The hardest-hit area was Paiporta, a town southwest of Valencia, where at least 62 people perished. On Tuesday night, the Poyo River, usually dry or barely flowing, surged unexpectedly, inundating roads and highways with rapid, destructive force. Many of the victims were in their cars, attempting to find shelter when the floodwaters overcame them, submerging vehicles along highways, particularly the A3 motorway.
The mayor of Chiva, Amparo Fort, expressed deep concern on Thursday as hundreds of overturned vehicles remained scattered across the town, with fears that more bodies might be found inside them. In Valencia’s La Torre neighborhood, eight people tragically lost their lives in their garages, trying to save their vehicles from the rising waters.
Rescue operations are slow-going due to persistent flooding and thick mud that has paralyzed many areas. Roads remain blocked or cut off by mud-laden vehicles piled on the streets. Thousands have been displaced, and dozens are still missing as authorities struggle to assess the full extent of the disaster.
In response, the government deployed an additional 500 soldiers to aid those already assisting with search and rescue operations alongside firefighters and the Guardia Civil. By Friday, a team of 10 forensic pathologists and 5 technicians arrived in Valencia to assist local officials with identifying victims, joining 21 experts already in the area. Meanwhile, heavy rains continue in Huelva, near the Portuguese border, where a red alert remains in place until at least Friday afternoon.
