Spain, flood victims over 200 but 'dozens and dozens' still missing. The alert moves to the Balearic Islands

Survivors of the worst natural disaster to hit Spain, and in particular the Valencia area, in this century woke up on Thursday to scenes of devastation after numerous villages were swept away by monstrous flash floods. The death toll from the flooding has now reached 205, this was revealed after the latest update issued by the emergency services of the Valencian Community. The search continues with an unknown number of people still missing.

The aftermath of the floods looks similar to the damage left by a major hurricane or tsunami: cars piled on top of each other like broken toys, uprooted trees, downed power cables and household objects, all mired in a layer of mud that covered the streets of Barrio de la Torre, a suburb of Valencia, just one of dozens of damaged localities in the hard-hit region, where 92 people died between Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. Walls of rushing water turned narrow streets into death traps and created rivers that poured into the ground floors of houses and swept away cars, people and anything else in their path. Regional authorities said Wednesday night that there seemed to be no one stuck on rooftops or in cars in need of rescue after helicopters rescued some 70 people. But ground teams and citizens continued to inspect vehicles and houses damaged by the floodwaters.

On the one hand the death count continues to rise, on the other an impressive wave of solidarity. The proportions of the flooding that has hit Valencia and other parts of Spain are becoming increasingly dramatic. In the meantime, the urgent needs of the survivors are also multiplying, with thousands of people left without light and access to drinking water and with very little food. As are the displays of goodwill by many citizens willing to brave the sea of mud in the flooded areas to bring aid and comfort to those in need.

The weather alert for the infernal 'Dana' that has been active for days, meanwhile, is not yet over, as Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has again reiterated in recent hours. After the flooding of roads and creeks in the Andalusian province of Huelva on the night between Thursday and Friday, the alert has moved to the Balearic Islands in particular. "Much precaution is needed," local authorities warned on social media. "Fortunately people are listening to the warnings and are not taking to the streets," a police officer in the area told Ultima Hora newspaper. In Valencia, meanwhile, the military contingent allocated to the area to assist populations in distress has increased (with already more than 1,700 personnel on the ground). And while the authorities were scrambling to try to appease the many flood victims who complained that they had still not been rescued, thousands of volunteers were also trying to help. A huge stream of people armed with shovels, brooms, bottles of water and foodstuffs set out on foot from the city centre towards the hinterland towns that had become the epicentre of the tragedy. So large as to become even unmanageable for those already grappling with an endless number of problems to solve. 'The traffic is collapsing and the emergency services can't get through,' explained Valencian governor Carlos Mazón, 'I'm asking you to go home.

One of the main concerns remains that of tracing who is missing. Because in many of the most destroyed areas the situation is still one of total chaos, with mud and dirt everywhere, blocked roads and cars piled up. And there are several places where it is feared there may be bodies that have not yet been recovered. "We worked all night in a tunnel, along the artery between Alfafar and Benetuser," said one fireman, "it was totally flooded, now it is completely cleared of water. Inside there are about 30 to 40 cars with several victims inside them'. Another problem is to restore the road network and public transport services as soon as possible. "More than 80 km of the road network has been damaged and the priority is to urgently reactivate the A7 motorway that is interrupted and impossible to travel on," explained the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente. While for regional trains, after the destruction of 3 of the 5 railway lines in the disaster, 'it will take months to be fully operational again'.