A series of deaths were discovered after being unable to escape from a car that was swept by a torrent of water.
Late evacuation order due to sudden heavy rain… Lack of irrigation facilities due to rapid urbanization
<img src="https://img2.yna.co.kr/etc/inner/KR/2024/10/31/AKR20241031172551081_01_i_P4.jpg" alt="Residents in the Valencia region of Spain are cleaning up household items covered in mud. “/>
Residents in the Valencia region of Spain are cleaning up household items covered in mud.
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(Paris = Yonhap News) Correspondent Song Jin-won = The death toll from the sudden heavy rain that fell in southeastern Spain on the 29th (local time) has surged to 158.
Spanish rescue authorities announced on the 31st (local time) through Two deaths were reported in nearby Castile-La Mancha and one death in Andalusia.
It is the worst loss of life since a flood in October 1973, when 300 people died.
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The number of deaths is expected to increase as rescue authorities are currently conducting search operations inside cars swept away by the torrent and buildings submerged in water.
“Unfortunately, there are fatalities in some of the cars,” Transportation Secretary Óscar Puente said, according to the Associated Press.
Authorities are currently unable to accurately determine the number of missing people.
The Spanish Meteorological Agency predicted that although the emergency situation has passed, rain will return within this week.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who visited the flood site that day, said, “Please stay at home and respect the advice of emergency services,” and promised that the government would do its best to search for victims and the families of missing people out of consideration for their suffering.
Authorities mobilized 51 search dog teams, 15 helicopters, and 18 drones to search for survivors, and also deployed about 1,200 soldiers to the flood site. 300 large vehicles were also deployed to rescue those trapped inside the house.
In Spain, heavy rain fell in a short period of time, mainly in the southeastern region, on the 29th.
According to the Spanish Meteorological Agency, in some areas, 150 to 200 liters of rain fell per 1 m2 in two hours, and in Andalusia, four times the amount of rain expected to fall during the month of October was concentrated in one day.
Analysis suggests that this sudden heavy rain was caused by a ‘high-altitude low pressure’ that commonly occurs on the Iberian Peninsula during this period.
It is said that extremely cold air reaching -75 degrees Celsius at an altitude of about 10,000 meters met warm and moist air coming from the Mediterranean, forming a strong storm.
It is pointed out that sudden heavy rain poured down in a short period of time, flooding rivers and streams in an instant, and evacuation orders for residents were issued late, resulting in increased casualties.
In particular, the media analyzes that the Valencia region experienced rapid urbanization, but did not have sufficient flood control facilities, so floodwaters directly hit residential areas.
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2024/11/01 00:43 Sent
