Catastrophic floods in Spain, more than 50 dead

(Patria) - At least 51 people have died in catastrophic floods that hit southeastern Spain, a spokesperson for the regional government of Valencia told Reuters.

Storm rains, caused by a cold front moving across the south and east of the country, flooded roads and towns yesterday, prompting authorities in the hardest-hit areas to advise residents to stay home and avoid all non-essential travel.

The major floods particularly affected the Valencia region, where torrents caused chaos on roads. Emergency services are working to rescue people from flooded areas and are searching for the missing. Among the dead in Valencia are children. Heavy rains flooded roads and towns yesterday.

Authorities in the hardest-hit areas advised people to stay home and avoid all non-essential travel.

In Letur, near Sierra de Segura, 30 people were trapped after the river flowing through the town burst its banks.

Numerous residents were trapped in floodwaters, with some holding onto trees to avoid being swept away. Authorities used helicopters to rescue some residents from their homes.

Radio and television stations received hundreds of calls for help from people trapped in flooded areas or searching for loved ones, as emergency services could not reach all affected locations.

A British couple told Sky News they were stuck in a car for nearly 10 hours.