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MADRID — At least 62 people have died in the eastern Spanish province of Valencia after torrential rains triggered flash floods across the region late Tuesday, regional authorities said Wednesday.
Since the authorities declared a red alert for torrential rains on Tuesday, several people have been missing in heavy flooding that has swept away vehicles and disrupted rail services.
Images broadcast on Spanish television show the floods washing cars down flooded streets, rivers overflowing and a bridge across the river Magro being carried away by the water.
Around 1,000 members of the Spanish Military Emergency Unit have been dispatched to the affected areas, and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will hold an emergency cabinet meeting to assess the damage from the flooding.
"These are very complicated hours for families and for missing people," said Carlos Mazon, president of the Valencian regional government, adding that the number of victims is expected to rise, as many affected areas are difficult to reach.
The Spanish government set up a crisis committee on Wednesday to assess the damage as rescuers continue to search for victims, Xinhua news agency reported.
At the opening of the Spanish Congress on Wednesday morning, Francina Armengol, the parliament speaker, called for a minute of silence for the victims.
Pilar Bernabe, government delegate in the Valencia region, sent a "vital and necessary" message for people not to travel by roads in the provinces of Valencia and neighboring Castellon.
Around 50 roads have been cut off by flooding, while the high-speed railway line between Madrid and Valencia has also been damaged by the water, with services stopped on Tuesday afternoon.
The rains result from a phenomenon known as a "cold drop," which happens when a front of cold air crosses the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea, provoking intense rainfall.