Latest news 89 people missing after storms in Spain

One week after the so-called storm of the century with more than 200 fatalities in eastern Spain, an official number of missing persons is available for the first time.

The regional government announced this evening that 89 people were missing in the worst-hit region of Valencia. Until recently, some Spanish media had reported up to 2,500 missing persons - albeit without a source. The figures were presumably based on emergency calls, some of which were received by the authorities at the beginning of the storm just over a week ago.

The official death toll stands at 215, with 211 recovered in Valencia alone. 62 of them have not yet been identified, so some of the people reported missing by relatives and friends could be among them.

In Valencia, it rained more in a few hours on Tuesday last week than it usually does in a year in some places. Other regions such as the Balearic Islands, Andalusia, Castilla-La Mancha and later Catalonia were also hit by heavy rainfall, which caused severe flooding. The weather in the disaster area is now much better. It is expected to stay that way for the next few days.

SDA