Floods in Spain: Tarragona under water, even higher toll feared

The provisional death toll of 217 victims could rise in the coming hours. Now, all eyes are on a submerged underground car park in western Valencia. Several bodies could be found there.

The essentials

• This Monday, the death toll from the floods in Spain is 217, including 213 in the Valencia region alone, three in Castile-la-Mancha and one in Andalusia. A total that should increase according to local authorities due to the basements to be cleared.
• During the night of Sunday 3 to Monday 4 November, torrential rains fell on the Tarragona region. The region has just been placed on orange alert by Aemet. Rains due to the cold drop continue to fall on the city this Monday. Between 100 and 150 liters of water are expected in the next few hours.
• The Spanish population continues to face a dramatic situation with infrastructure completely destroyed at the flood sites. Cars are still piled up on some roads, as well as significant debris. Spanish authorities say that several thousand homes remain without electricity on Monday.
• Near Valencia, an underground car park is causing concern. In fact, this still submerged car park of the Bonaire shopping centre, in Aldaia, west of Valencia, will be searched in the coming hours. Rescuers fear finding a large number of victims there: “It's a cemetery”, we heard this weekend on ESdiario.

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10:14 – In the Valencia region, 12 municipalities without gas

The damage in the Valencia region is starting to be quantified, and this Monday morning, many municipalities in the region are completely without gas, almost a week after the deadly floods that ravaged the area. Here are the municipalities affected according to the Spanish media: Alfafar, Chiva, Benetússer, Catarroja, Cheste, Paiporta, Utiel, Albal, Loriguilla, Massanasa and the industrial areas of Ribarroja

09:40 – Companies encouraged to telework at Valencia

The Valencian Community government is recommending this Monday that companies in the region whose services are “non-essential” allow their employees to telework to avoid traffic jams in the area. In fact, several roads remain impassable around the city, the aim being to relieve traffic congestion to allow emergency services to move around more quickly.

08:36 – Barcelona soon to be affected by torrential rains ?

The province of Tarragona is now facing bad weather, like Valencia a few days earlier. In some towns on the southern coast, up to 150 litres of water per square metre fell during the night. During the night, firefighters received up to 164 calls from the same family indicates El Pais.

This Monday morning, the rains will continue in this region and the Civil Protection has announced that they could impact the most popular areas of Catalonia as well as the capital Barcelona, ​​then the regions of Vallès and Baix Llobregat. This is a good part of the railway connections of the city of Tarragona.

08:23 – In Catalonia, a “significant danger” in coastal areas

AEMET warns this Monday, November 4, of a significant danger in the coastal areas of Catalonia. “Very intense rain is being recorded that could continue for much of the morning,” indicates the Spanish meteorological agency. A "significant danger this Monday morning in the coastal and near-shore areas of Catalonia", is émentionedé 

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08:17 – A provisional report of 217 dead

The latest human toll after the storms of Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 October in the south-east of Spain is 217 dead, including 213 in the Valencia region alone, three in Castile-la-Mancha and one in Andalusia. A toll that could rise considerably when a car park in the west of Valencia, still submerged, is inspected. by the rescue teams in place.

The Valencia region is currently placed on orange alert by AEMET, schools will remain closed this Monday in the city. The city of Tarragona has also been facing heavy rain since this Sunday, up to 3 meters of water have been raised in the city, casting a real wave of fear over this region as well.

08:09 – “It's a cemetery”, an underground car park is causing concern in the west of Valencia

This Monday, in Valencia – badly hit by bad weather – it is the still submerged car park of a shopping centre that is worrying local authorities and rescue teams. This underground car park of the Bonaire shopping centre, in Aldaia, in the west of the city could contain many bodies. Indeed, according to El Plural, divers were able to go to the scene last Friday and note the presence of several bodies. “It's a cemetery,” several sources indicated on Saturday, according to the media ESdiario. The human toll could rise considerably, with people who tried to get to their vehicles to escape, but found themselves trapped by the rapidly rising water.

The water reached three meters in this car park, which has no fewer than 5,800 spaces. From the street, access to this car park is blocked by debris and flooding. The Unit The Emergency Military Unit (UME) is still on site trying to lower the water level using pumps to try to access the area.

08:00 – Tarragona hit by floods this Monday

This Monday, torrential rains are falling on the city of Tarragona, south of Barcelona. The region has been placed on orange alert by AEMET. In the south of the city, in particular, garages and basements are already submerged by water. The city council has launched an appeal to the city's residents on the social network X, inviting them to do not go into basements. 

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The central government has activated an emergency plan and sent a unit to the Valencia region of the army specialized in rescue operations. "I am following with concern the reports of missing persons and the damage caused by the storm in recent hours," wrote Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on X. "Be very careful and avoid unnecessary travel," he added.

"We are facing “an unprecedented situation, which no one has ever seen before,” regional president Carlos Mazon told Spanish media. Valencia Mayor María José Cataláaacute; said 400 people who were victims of the storms had been taken care of.