Latest news Death toll after storms in Spain now at 227

Almost three weeks after the devastating storms in the south and east of Spain, the death toll has risen to 227. 13 people are still missing, according to the regional government of the worst-hit Mediterranean region of Valencia in its latest report on X.

At least 219 people lost their lives there alone. 218 of them have been identified.

Temporary morgue to be closed

According to media reports, the temporary morgue, which was set up shortly after the heavy rainfall and flooding on October 29 in view of the ever-increasing number of victims at the exhibition center in the regional capital of Valencia, will be closed.

Corpses are now to be autopsied again in the city's forensic institute, as reported by the portal "València Extra" and other media.

Meanwhile, clean-up work is continuing in many of the 80 or so severely devastated communities to the west and south of the regional capital Valencia. There, a normally dry riverbed, which quickly filled up with the masses of rain, was primarily responsible for the severe flooding.

Many streets are still muddy and garages are still flooded, as can be seen on images from the state television station RTVE this morning. Countless cars that were pushed into each other by the flash floods are still lying around in many places. The destruction left behind by the so-called storm of the century is evident everywhere.

Political dispute continues

Mud is also clogging the sewers in many places, preventing wastewater from draining away. In the particularly hard-hit town of Paiporta, where at least 45 people lost their lives, there is an increasing amount of sewage with faeces on the street, reported a reporter for the broadcaster.

Meanwhile, the political dispute between the Valencia regional government and the Spanish central government over responsibility for the extent of the natural disaster continues. Valencia's head of government Carlos Mazón, who belongs to the conservative People's Party (PP), has so far refused to resign.

Instead, at a hearing last week in the regional parliament, he referred meticulously to failures which, in his opinion, were the responsibility of the governing alliance in Madrid led by the Socialists (PSOE) around head of government Pedro Sánchez.

SDA