Rescuers rushed into overcrowded garages on Monday to find victims of Spain’s worst floods in a generation as fresh rains wreaked havoc on transport in the northeastern region of Catalonia.
The death toll stands at 217 — almost all of them in the eastern region of Valencia — as the country is still reeling from the discovery of more bodies and an unknown number of people still missing.
The weather service AEMET announced the end of Valencia’s state of emergency but heavy rain lashed Catalonia, where residents received phone warnings urging extreme caution.
Barcelona’s El Prat airport, Spain’s second busiest, said 50 flights were canceled or delayed and 17 diverted on Monday, while the city closed flooded metro stations and regional trains were grounded.
Images on social media showed cars plowing through flooded streets in Barcelona’s Castelldefels and Gava neighborhoods and barefoot walkers wading through water that had entered El Prat.
Spain also suffered the consequences of a dramatic temper tantrum when mobs mounted and hurled mud at King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
The Civil Guard has opened an investigation into the unrest in the town of Paiporta that interrupted their visit on Sunday, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska told TVE broadcaster.
He blamed “small groups” for causing the violence when mud spread over the faces and clothes of the chiefs and the window of Sanchez’s car.
– ‘We are doomed’ –
The incident underscored the growing anger over the authorities’ preparation and response to the disaster.
Experts have questioned early warning systems that failed to alert people in time and speed of response.
“They were saying ‘water warning’, but they should have said it was flooding,” Teresa Gisbert, 62, told AFP in the devastated town of Sedavi, saying she had “lost everything”.
Thousands of soldiers, police, civil guards and firefighters spent the sixth day distributing aid and clearing mud and debris to recover the bodies.
But relief efforts reached other cities a few days after the disaster and in many cases volunteers were the first to provide food, water, sanitation and cleaning equipment.
“We don’t have to love it: people saved people because we were abandoned,” said Jorge, 25, who lives in the town of Chiva where the royal family canceled their visit on Sunday.
Divers on Monday focused on searching for missing bodies in garages and a multi-storey car park in the town of Aldaia.
The storm trapped many victims in their cars on the streets and underground areas such as car parks, tunnels and garages where rescue operations are very difficult.
Local authorities in Valencia extended travel restrictions for two more days, canceled classes and urged residents to work from home for emergency work.
– ‘Effects of inactivity’ –
The unity that held Spain’s divisive politics together at the time of the disaster began to falter as attention turned to those involved in handling the crisis.
The right-wing Vox group criticized Spain’s “failed” state, accusing Sanchez of the slow deployment of troops and “demonizing” volunteers. The left-wing Podemos demanded the resignation of Valencia regional leader Carlos Mazon.
Sanchez said now is not the time to focus on disaster management during the emergency rescue and reconstruction work.
The main opposition Popular Party has urged the left-wing government to go ahead with declaring a national emergency and approve aid packages for individual citizens.
Storms from the Mediterranean are common during this season. But scientists have warned human-caused climate change is increasing the intensity, duration and frequency of extreme weather events.
“Politicians have never stood up to climate change, and now we are paying the consequences of their inaction,” environmental activist Emi, 21, told AFP in Chiva.
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