The death toll from devastating flash floods in eastern Spain climbed to 158 yesterday, with rescue teams still searching for those missing in what could become Europe’s worst storm-related disaster in over five decades.
“There’s a total of 158 people to which must be added dozens and dozens of missing,” Angel Victor Torres, minister in charge of cooperation with Spain’s regions, told a press conference.
A year’s worth of rain fell in eight hours in parts of the Valencia region on Tuesday. The tragedy is already Spain’s worst flood-related disaster in modern history, and meteorologists say human-driven climate change is making such extreme weather events more frequent and destructive.
Death toll in Spain’s floods
In 2021, at least 185 people died in heavy flooding in Germany. Prior to that, 209 people died in Romania in 1970 and floods in Portugal in 1967 killed nearly 500 people.
Rescue teams on Thursday discovered the bodies of eight people, including a local policeman, who had been trapped in a garage on the outskirts of the city of Valencia, Mayor Maria Jose Catala told reporters.
In the same neighbourhood of La Torre, she said, a 45-year-old woman was also found dead in her home. Thousands of people carrying bags or pushing shopping trolleys could be seen yesterday crossing a pedestrian bridge over the Turia River from La Torre into Valencia city centre to stock up on essential supplies such as toilet paper and water.
Source: BBC
In other news – Zwai Bala has banned his brother Phelo from using their surname
The situation has attracted media attention, highlighting the complexities of family ties, especially in the public eye. This development raises questions about identity and the impact of personal conflicts on professional lives.
Singer and producer Zwai Bala and his younger brother’s relationship keeps getting more complicated. Zwai Bala, the former TKZ member and musical director, has banned Phelo from using their surname, Bala, in his brand or business ventures. This comes after Phelo indicated he doesn’t want to be part of the Bala family. The two don’t have the same father. Read more