Latest on Spain Flood: Spain: Death Toll Reaches 158

: A man walks through a debris-covered street after flash floods hit the region on October 30, 2024 in the Sedaví area of Valencia, Spain. Spanish authorities said on Wednesday that at least 62 people had died in the Valencia region overnight after flash-flooding followed heavy rain. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

At least 158 people have died after torrential rainfall turned into a natural disaster in Valencia, Spain. 

Local officials announced on Thursday that the continuous rain prompted one of the worst natural disasters that the country has faced in at least a decade. 

Photographs have emerged from Valencia, Spain’s third most populous city, showing dozens of cars wedged atop one another after being carried by a wave of mud and debris into the narrow city streets.

“Unfortunately, there are dead people inside some vehicles,” said Transport Minister Óscar Puente.

Emergency services in the region of Valencia announced that the “provisional” death toll was now 158, and the “process of collecting and identifying victims continues.”

According to meteorologists, a year’s worth of rain fell in just eight hours in areas around the city. Emergency workers have begun searching for survivors that could be stranded in the area’s small towns and villages. 

Additionally, over 1,000 soldiers have been deployed by the Spanish government in order to assist with the rescue operation. 

According to reports, this is one of the worst natural disasters to hit Europe in years, rivaling deadly floods that killed 185 people in Germany back in 2021.

Many local residents have now been housed in emergency shelters, and many were forced to evacuate their homes in general.

Besides the 158 deaths so far, it is currently unclear how many people are missing at this time.