Walter Finch
SPAIN declared three days of mourning in the wake of the deadly and unprecedented floods that have struck Valencia and other parts of the country. The death toll currently stands at 73.
President Pedro Sanchez told the King, Felipe IV, that it will start from today, October 31 (Thursday), until Saturday, November 2.
During an official mourning period, public events are often postponed or cancelled out of respect, flags fly at half mast, and television channels shift to a more sombre output.
READ MORE: Spain’s Pedro Sanchez delivers heartfelt message following devastating Valencia flood disaster
Sanchez is visiting the affected areas of Valencia today, having already spoken with the Carlos Mazon and Emiliano García-Page, the presidents of the Valencia Community and Castilla-La Mancha respectively
Angel Víctor Torres Pérez, the minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, said the government was standing by to help in any way.
“The Government of Spain is committed to working together however is necessary with all institutions and stakeholders most affected by the DANA, and the Generalitat Valencia,” he said in a press conference.
Meanwhile, the prime minister of Portugal, Luis Montenegro, has reassured Spain that his country is ready to help with what is needed.
“The Portuguese government expresses its strongest condolences over the high number of flood victims in Spain, shows solidarity with all the Spanish people and the government and makes itself available for all necessary help,” he said on social media.
Valencia woke up to scenes that have been compared to a ‘zombie apocalypse’ on Wednesday.
Collapsed roads, hundreds of washed up cars and fallen trees are just some of the examples of the devastation caused by Spain’s ‘worst natural disaster of the century’.
In the town of Paiporta, where torrential rain destroyed a bridge, four lifeless bodies were found, including that of a baby, two men and a woman. Five more were found in a nursing home for the elderly in L’Horta Sud.
In Torrent, five fatalities were recorded, including a married couple, two children and another baby.
In Alfafar, a woman’s corpse was found, while the rest of the known deceased, all of them men, were found in Chiva, Cheste and Alcudia, one in each case.
In Utiel, at least six people are confirmed to have died in the area of Las Fuentes. The victims were all elderly and alone at the time of their deaths, apart from two who were a couple.
People have been warned to avoid any type of road travel in the province of Valencia as a preventive measure.
It comes after Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez today warned people to ‘not let their guard down’, insisting the disaster was ‘not yet over’.
The sombre message was delivered from Moncloa Palace shortly after 12pm, when the latest death toll became known.
The floods in Valencia, Castilla-La Mancha and Andalucia have been branded Spain’s worst natural disaster of the century, and many more people remain missing.
In the worst hit areas of Valencia, almost 500mm of rain fell per square metre, according to statistics collected by El Tiempo.
Meanwhile in Albacete, Malaga and Granada, more than 150mm were recorded, before nearing 200mm in Teruel, Guadalajara and Cuenca.
The amount of recorded rainfall in the Valencia region is the highest since 1996, when 520mm fell per square metre in Tavernes de la Vall.
In his address today, Sanchez said: “We are going to help you with all the resources of the state and the European Union if necessary so that you can move forward.
“Spain will give the best of itself. Let’s pitch in. Let us support, united in pain, those who have lost their loved ones.”
He added: “Let’s not let our guard down, we cannot consider this episode over. I ask that you take extreme precautions, and all security measures. United, we will rebuild your streets. The whole of Spain is with you.
“I ask those who live there to take extreme precautions and safety measures, not to go out on the road, to avoid travelling near ravines, valleys, riverbeds and to listen to what emergency services advise.
“No one should put their lives at risk.”
Sanchez continued: “Spain always gives the best of itself in crises like this. We did it during the COVID-19 pandemic, during Storm Filomena, during the volcanic eruption of La Palma, during other DANA events less serious than this one and we are going to do it again now.”
It comes as King Felipe VI issued a statement saying he was ‘devastated’ by the events.
The message read: “Devastated by the latest news about the DANA. Our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the more than 50 deceased.
“Strength, courage and all the necessary support for all those affected.
“Our warmest message and recognition to local and regional authorities and all emergency services, Armed Forces and State Security Forces and Corps for the titanic work they have been doing from the very beginning.”
