Madrid [Spain], October 31 (HBTV): At least 95 people have lost their lives due to severe flash floods across Spain, with Valencia experiencing the worst impact, according to CNN and Spanish authorities. In Valencia, 92 deaths were reported. Minister of Territorial Policy Angel Victor Torres has confirmed the fatalities. Additional deaths occurred in Castile-La Mancha and Andalusia.   

In Paiporta, Valencia, 40 people, including six from a retirement home, were confirmed dead, according to Mayor Maribel Albalat. Southern and eastern Spain saw up to 12 inches of rain within hours on Tuesday, marking the heaviest rainfall Valencia has faced in 28 years, per AEMET, Spain's state weather agency.

Floodwaters rendered highways impassable, swept away abandoned vehicles, and left people stranded on rooftops. Rescue efforts are ongoing in Valencia, Malaga, and Castile-La Mancha, with hundreds still missing. Castile-La Mancha's regional president, Emiliano Garcia-Page, likened the flood's intensity to a dam burst, noting the sudden and powerful deluge.

The flooding has halted train services between Madrid and Valencia, while schools, museums, and public services in Valencia remain closed. Approximately 1,200 people are stranded on highways, and around 5,000 vehicles are immobilized.

The Spanish government declared three days of mourning beginning Thursday and has deployed over 1,000 military personnel for rescue operations. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez assured citizens that all available resources would be used to aid flood victims and urged vigilance, planning a visit to Valencia on Thursday.

The "cold drop" weather event has caused the most severe flooding Valencia has seen in a century, though the influence of climate change remains uncertain, according to AEMET.   

(ANI)