Looking for more dead - in tunnels and garages

Barcelona
New red alert in Spain after deadly storm: "Extreme downpour"

Mattias Kjellman,

Nora Fernstedt

Published 2024-11-04 22.37

In Valencia, Spain, the rescue service is searching for the dead in flooded parking garages.

At the same time, a new red warning has been issued in Barcelona.

Roads have already been flooded and trains have been canceled indefinitely.

At the same time as the downpour drags in across Catalonia, search efforts continue in the disaster-stricken neighboring region of Valencia.

Pictures show how the rescue service searches in tunnels and parking garages, where cars have become stuck in the floods.

Emergency services search for bodies in a garage in Paiporta near Valencia. Photo: Alberto Saiz/AP

Among other things, it is feared that both shoppers and employees have become stuck in a parking garage under a mall in Aldaia. The police have sent in drones to get a first picture of what it looks like inside,

On Monday morning, Spain's interior minister refused to answer how many are missing, the BBC writes.

At least 217 people have died in Valencia.

Over 200 people have died in the floods. Photo: Alberto Saiz/AP

The authorities' previous handling of the devastating storm has received very harsh criticism in Spain. Among other things, because the first weather warning for the disaster in Valencia only came twelve hours before the streets were filled with masses of water and mud.

The King and Queen of Spain visited flood-hit Paiporta on Sunday.

Then the crowd attacked with mud and sticks.

- Murderer, chanted angry residents.

Warning SMS has been sent out in Catalonia. People are advised to use extreme caution due to extreme weather.

Now a storm is moving in over Catalonia.

Barcelona is one of the cities covered by the warning.

Storm Dana is expected to affect the entire region of Catalonia and the red warning has been sent out to the population via SMS.

The Spanish meteorological organization AEMET has warned in recent days that the danger is not yet over, writes Spanish media.

The heavy rains are expected to start on Tuesday, several roads are flooded and trains and flights in Catalonia are cancelled. Photo: Clear

"On standby"

The authorities have advised against travel and closed schools on Monday.

"We are currently in a state of emergency," says Catalonia's Minister of the Interior and Security, Núria Parlon.

Catalonia's meteorological service, Meteocat, has issued a severe weather warning in the coastal regions of Penedès and Ponent. Specifically, the risk is very high in Anoia, Alt Penedès, Baix Penedès, Garraf and Baix Llobregat.

Water at the airport in Barcelona, ​​several departures have been cancelled. Photo: Mariona Batalla Taylor / AP

Trains and flights are cancelled

The powerful rain has caused flooding in the south of Barcelona and many roads have been closed, El Diario writes.

Train traffic has also been affected. All "Renfe Rodalies" trains in Catalonia have been canceled due to the rain.

Photo: Krister Hansson

Several flight departures have also been canceled at El Prat airport in Barcelona.

In pictures and videos from the airport, you can see how large amounts of water are leaking in through the roof.

2,631 emergency calls in Catalonia

During the night of Monday and continuing during the day, the emergency center in Catalonia received a large number of emergency calls.

Between 00:00 and 14:00 this Monday, the emergency telephone number 112 has received 2,631 calls, which are connected to the storm.

Civil protection in the area has also sent out calls that the population should be careful.

Satellite image of the floods in Valencia. Photo: NASA