Several bodies found in flood-hit areas of southeast Spain
Recasts with corpses found, adds new developments in paragraphs 4-9
By Emma Pinedo and David Latona
MADRID, Oct 29 (Reuters) -An unspecified number of bodies have been found in areas hit by flash flooding in southeastern Spain, the leader of the Valencia region told reporters early on Wednesday.
Torrential rains caused by a cold front moving across southeastern Spain flooded roads and towns on Tuesday, prompting authorities in the worst-hit areas to advise citizens to stay at home and avoid all non-essential travel.
"Dead bodies have been found, but out of respect for the families, we are not going to provide any further data," said the regional leader of Valencia Carlos Mazon.
Spain's state weather agency AEMET declared a red alert in the eastern Valencia region, with some areas such as Turis and Utiel recording 200 mm (7.9 inches) of rainfall.
Dozens of videos shared on social media appeared to show people trapped in floodwaters, several of them hanging on to trees to avoid being swept away.
Other footage showed firefighters using long-line rescue helicopters to help people caught in floodwaters. A viral video appeared to capture a tornado, a relatively rare phenomenon in Spain.
Reuters could not immediately verify the videos' authenticity.
Radio and TV stations were receiving hundreds of calls for help from citizens trapped in flooded areas or searching for loved ones, as emergency services were unable to reach all affected locations.
"If (emergency services) have not arrived, it's not due to a lack of means or predisposition, but a problem of access," Mazon said, adding that reaching certain areas was "absolutely impossible".
Footage showed firefighters rescuing trapped drivers amid heavy rain in the Valencian town of Alzira and flooded streets with stuck cars.
Scientists say extreme weather events are becoming more frequent due to climate change. Meteorologists believe the warming of the Mediterranean, which increases water evaporation, plays a key role in making torrential rains more severe.
Schools and other essential services were suspended in the worst-hit areas.
Local emergency services requested the help of UME, a military unit specialised in rescue operations, in the area of Utiel-Requena, where farmers' association ASAJA said the storm was causing significant damage to crops.
Reporting by Emma Pinedo and David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip, Gareth Jones and Michael Perry
Berita Terkini
Penafian: Entiti XM Group menyediakan perkhidmatan pelaksanaan sahaja dan akses ke Kemudahan Dagangan Atas Talian, yang membolehkan sesorang melihat dan/atau menggunakan kandungan yang ada di dalam atau melalui laman web, tidak bertujuan untuk mengubah atau memperluas, juga tidak mengubah atau mengembangkannya. Akses dan penggunaan tersebut tertakluk kepada: (i) Terma dan Syarat; (ii) Amaran Risiko; dan Penafian Penuh. Oleh itu, kandungan sedemikian disediakan tidak lebih dari sekadar maklumat umum. Terutamanya, perlu diketahui bahawa kandungan Kemudahan Dagangan Atas Talian bukan permintaan, atau tawaran untuk melakukan transaksi dalam pasaran kewangan. Berdagang dalam mana-mana pasaran kewangan melibatkan tahap risiko yang besar terhadap modal anda.
Semua bahan yang diterbitkan di Kemudahan Dagangan Atas Talian kami bertujuan hanya untuk tujuan pendidikan/maklumat dan tidak mengandungi – dan tidak boleh dianggap mengandungi nasihat kewangan, cukai pelaburan atau dagangan dan cadangan, atau rekod harga dagangan kami, atau tawaran, atau permintaan untuk suatu transaksi dalam sebarang instrumen kewangan atau promosi kewangan yang tidak diminta kepada anda.
Sebarang kandungan pihak ketiga serta kandungan yang disediakan oleh XM, seperti pendapat, berita, penyelidikan, analisis, harga, maklumat lain atau pautan ke laman web pihak ketiga yang terdapat dalam laman web ini disediakan berdasarkan "seadanya" sebagai ulasan pasaran umum dan bukanlah nasihat pelaburan. Sesuai dengan apa-apa kandungan yang ditafsir sebagai penyelidikan pelaburan, anda mestilah ambil perhatian dan menerima bahawa kandungan tersebut tidak bertujuan dan tidak sediakan berdasarkan keperluan undang-undang yang direka untuk mempromosikan penyelidikan pelaburan bebas dan oleh itu, ia dianggap sebagai komunikasi pemasaran di bawah peraturan dan undang-undang yang berkaitan. SIla pastikan bahawa anda telah membaca dan memahami Notifikasi mengenai Penyelidikan Pelaburan Bukan Bebas dan Amaran Risiko mengenai maklumat di atas yang boleh diakses di sini.
