Spain rushes to rescue victims as floods claim 72 lives

Spanish rescuers scrambled on Wednesday to reach people trapped by torrents of muddy floodwaters in the country’s eastern regions, where at least 72 lives have been claimed. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez urged continued caution as the crisis remains ongoing, with the government declaring three days of mourning to mark the scale of this rare disaster.

Heavy rainfall and high winds have battered Spain since a storm developed over the Mediterranean, triggering severe floods across Valencia and Andalusia. Emergency services in Valencia announced a provisional toll of 70 deaths, with bodies still being recovered, while Castilla-La Mancha authorities confirmed two additional deaths.

The death toll could increase, as several people remain missing. Near the coastal city of Valencia, cars were tossed and buried in mudslides, while residents waded through waist-high water, trying to salvage belongings. In Ribarroja del Turia, on Valencia's outskirts, town councillor Esther Gomez described workers stranded overnight at an industrial site without rescue access.

The town of Chiva, just west of Valencia, experienced nearly a year’s worth of rain—491 mm—in only eight hours on Tuesday, according to Spain's meteorological agency, AEMET.

In a televised address, Sanchez pledged the government’s “absolute priority” is supporting flood victims, committing to “deploy all necessary resources for as long as needed” to aid recovery. Sanchez spoke with King Felipe VI, who expressed his condolences, and three days of national mourning will begin Thursday. European countries, including Portugal, Germany, Italy, and Ukraine, have sent messages of solidarity.

The floodwaters have cut off telephone networks and roads in Valencia, and 155,000 homes are without electricity. Energy company Iberdrola has dispatched 500 workers to restore power, and the EU activated its Copernicus satellite to support Spanish rescue teams. Defense Minister Margarita Robles reported that more than 1,000 troops with helicopter support were on the ground facing this "unprecedented phenomenon," with survivors placed in temporary shelters.

Transport across rail and air networks has been significantly affected, with the high-speed rail line between Valencia and Madrid shut down. The floods mark Spain’s deadliest since 1996, when 86 people died in Aragon.

Further downpours are expected, and Barcelona is on high alert for Wednesday evening. Meteorologists attribute the intense rains to cold air passing over the warm Mediterranean, a common seasonal occurrence. Scientists caution that climate change is driving more frequent and intense storms that can overwhelm defenses, even in well-resourced nations like Spain, highlighting the urgency of robust climate adaptation measures.