Sudden floods in Spain have transformed village streets into rivers, destroyed homes, disrupted transportation systems, and claimed the lives of at least 95 people.
This is reported by RBK-Ukraine referencing AP.
Heavy rains that began on Tuesday caused flooding in southern and eastern Spain, covering areas from Malaga to Valencia. Mudslides mixed with debris and household items swiftly carried vehicles down the streets. Police and rescue services utilized helicopters to extract people from their homes and rubber boats to reach drivers stranded on the rooftops of their cars.
Emergency services in the eastern Valencia region confirmed the death toll on Wednesday - 92 people. Additionally, two fatalities were reported in the neighboring region of Castile-La Mancha, and one death was noted in southern Andalusia.
Rescue teams and over 1,100 soldiers from Spanish emergency response units have been dispatched to the affected areas. The central government of Spain has established a crisis committee to coordinate rescue operations.
The National Meteorological Agency of Spain reported that in just eight hours, Valencia received more rainfall than in the previous 20 months combined.
The death toll is likely to rise, as reports of casualties from other regions have yet to come in, and search operations in hard-to-reach areas continue.
Spain is still recovering from a severe drought, with record-high temperatures being recorded. Scientists indicate that the increasing frequency of extreme weather events is likely linked to climate change. The prolonged drought makes it difficult for the land to absorb large amounts of water.
As previously reported, due to global warming, Ukraine is experiencing river shallowing, abnormally warm winters, and dry summers. Climate change is being exacerbated by greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the war between the Russian Federation and Ukraine.