Flooding death toll in Spain reaches 51

MADRID (AFP) — Disastrous floods triggered by torrential rain in Spain’s eastern Valencia region have left at least 51 people dead, rescue services said Wednesday.

Heavy rain and fierce winds have lashed southern and eastern Spain since the beginning of the week, sparking deadly floods in Valencia and the southern Andalusia region.

The “provisional number of dead is at 51 people,” the regional emergency services wrote on X.

Bodies were still being recovered and identified, they added.

Parts of the Valencia region are without power with phone lines also down, and some places were cut off by flooded roads, regional chief Carlos Mazon told reporters.

“We can confirm that some bodies have already been found,” Carlos Mazon told reporters, without saying how many.

Authorities could not give further details until relatives had been informed, he added.

Heavy rain lashed much of eastern and southern Spain on Tuesday, flooding streets with muddy water and disrupting rail and air travel.

Images shot by residents with smartphones and broadcast on Spanish TV showed raging waters washing away cars and flooding buildings.