Death toll in Spain's floods rises to 158, among Europe's worst storm disasters

The death toll from devastating flash floods in eastern Spain climbed to 158 on October 31, with rescue teams still searching for those missing in what could become Europe's worst storm-related disaster in over five decades, Report informs via Reuters.

"There's a total of 158 people to which must be added dozens and dozens of missing," Angel Victor Torres, minister in charge of cooperation with Spain's regions, told a press conference.

A year's worth of rain fell in eight hours in parts of the Valencia region on Tuesday.

The tragedy is already Spain's worst flood-related disaster in modern history, and meteorologists say human-driven climate change is making such extreme weather events more frequent and destructive.

In 2021, at least 185 people died in heavy flooding in Germany. Prior to that, 209 people died in Romania in 1970 and floods in Portugal in 1967 killed nearly 500 people.

Rescue teams on October 31 discovered the bodies of eight people, including a local policeman, who had been trapped in a garage on the outskirts of the city of Valencia, Mayor Maria Jose Catala told reporters.

In the same neighborhood of La Torre, she said, a 45-year-old woman was also found dead in her home.

Thousands of people carrying bags or pushing shopping trolleys could be seen on Thursday crossing a pedestrian bridge over the Turia River from La Torre into Valencia city center to stock up on essential supplies such as toilet paper and water.