Latest news Spain battles new storms - 23 people missing
In Spain, new storms are complicating the search for missing people, while the Valencia region and other areas are facing further weather warnings.
12.11.2024, 13:57
SDA
Two weeks after the devastating storm that claimed over 220 lives, 23 people are still missing in Spain. The Valencia region, the worst affected, has reduced the number of missing persons from 32 to 23. The search is focusing on the sea and wetlands, where ships, drones and echo sounders are being used to find possible victims. The official death toll remains at 222.
New storm warnings and their effects
The weather service Aemet has issued warnings of the third and in some cases the second highest level for parts of Valencia, the Balearic Islands, Galicia, Catalonia and Andalusia. Heavy rainfall had already caused flooding in the Andalusian province of Almería on Monday. The mayor of Balanegra, Nuria Rodríguez, spoke of fearful hours, while meteorologist Mónica López explained on RTVE that the new storms are expected to be less severe than the previous ones.
Despite the challenges, normality is slowly returning to the disaster area. Many roads are still covered in mud and debris and many people are unable to return to their destroyed homes. Nevertheless, 47 schools reopened on Monday and the Madrid-Valencia high-speed rail link is due to reopen on Thursday.
Royal visit and public reactions
King Felipe VI is expected in Valencia on Tuesday, this time without Queen Letizia. During an earlier visit on November 3, they were insulted and had mud thrown at them in Paiporta. Felipe plans to meet less with those affected and instead oversee the military operation. Around 20,000 soldiers and police officers as well as numerous volunteers are involved in the recovery and clean-up work in the 80 or so severely affected communities.
On October 29, rainfall that would otherwise last a whole year fell in some places within a few hours. Many citizens blame the authorities for mismanaging the floods. On Sunday, around 130,000 people protested in Valencia against what they saw as the slowness of the aid and the late warnings on their cell phones.
