At least 51 people, including many children, have died in flash floods that hit southeastern Spain overnight, a spokesman for the Valencia regional government told Reuters today.

“The provisional death toll is 51,” emergency services also said in a post on X.

The torrential rains of the last few hours in the south and east of Spain have resulted in the flooding of entire towns in the province of Albacete and Valencia, while several bodies have been found in the water.

The previous count was 13 dead, but the number of victims increases dramatically as the hours pass.

“We can confirm that some bodies have already been found“, noted Carlos Mathon, the head of the Valencia region, adding that the authorities cannot go into details as the families have not yet been informed.

Devastating floods in Valencia - dozens dead
Devastating floods in Valencia - dozens dead
Devastating floods in Valencia - dozens dead
Devastating floods in Valencia - dozens dead
Devastating floods in Valencia - dozens dead
Devastating floods in Valencia - dozens dead
Devastating floods in Valencia - dozens dead
Devastating floods in Valencia - dozens dead
Devastating floods in Valencia - dozens dead
Devastating floods in Valencia - dozens dead
Devastating floods in Valencia - dozens dead
Devastating floods in Valencia - dozens dead

“We are facing an unprecedented situation, which no one has seen before,” added the regional head of Valencia, adding that some people remain isolated in hard-to-reach locations.

Reports still speak of dozens of missing persons.

Spanish floods

Authorities have issued a red alert, asking citizens to stay at home and avoid any unnecessary movement until further notice.

Schools, courts and other essential services were suspended in Carlet and other nearby towns in the Valencia region.

The central government has set up a crisis response unit, which met for the first time last night and sent to Valencia a army unit that specializes in rescue operations.

“I have been following with concern the information about the missing persons and the damage caused by the storm in the last hours,” noted Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in a post on X, calling on people to follow the authorities’ recommendations. “Be very careful and avoid movements that are not necessary,” he added.

A high-speed train carrying 276 passengers derailed in the southern region of Andalusia, with no injuries, regional authorities said.

Emergency services helped dozens of people in Alora, Andalusia, some by helicopter, after a river overflowed.

Spanish floods

Chaos in transport

Twelve flights due to land at Valencia airport were diverted to other Spanish cities due to torrential rain and strong winds, Spanish airport operator Aena said.

Another ten flights expected to depart or arrive at the airport were cancelled.

National rail infrastructure manager Adif also announced it had suspended high-speed train services between Madrid and Valencia due to the impact of the storm on key points on the rail network.

Agony for the missing

Authorities had officially announced yesterday, Tuesday, that seven people are missing, including one in L’Alcudia in Valencia and six in Letour, in the neighboring province of Albacete (Castilla-La Mancha).

Emergency services, supported by drones, were working through the night to locate the missing in Letur, Castilla-La Mancha central government spokeswoman Milagros Tolon told public broadcaster TVE.

“Our priority is to find the missing,” he added.

At the same time, the police of the city of L’Alcudia said that they are looking for a truck driver who has been missing since yesterday afternoon.