Those who survived the worst natural disaster hit Spain This century woke up to scenes of destruction on Thursday after villages were wiped out in a terrifying flash flood It cost the lives of at least 95 people.

With an unknown number of people still missing, the death toll may rise as the search continues.

The aftermath looked eerily similar to the damage left by a powerful hurricane or tsunami.

Wrecked vehicles, tree branches, downed power lines and household items were all covered in a layer of mud on the streets of Utiel, just one of dozens of towns in the hard-hit region of Valencia, where 92 people died between late Tuesday and Wednesday morning. .

Walls of rushing water turned narrow streets into death traps and spawned rivers that tore apart the ground floors of houses; It swept away cars, people and everything else in its path.

“The neighborhood was destroyed, all the cars were on top of each other, literally torn to shreds,” said Christian Viena, a bar owner in the Valencian village of Barrio de la Torre.

Regional officials said late Wednesday that no one was trapped on rooftops or in vehicles that needed to be rescued after helicopters rescued about 70 people.

However, ground crews and citizens continued to inspect vehicles and houses damaged by the flood.

More than a thousand soldiers from Spain’s emergency rescue units joined regional and local emergency workers to search for bodies and survivors.

( ‘The whole of Spain is crying with you’: At least 95 people died and many others are missing in the floods that hit the Valencia regionOpens in new window )

The defense minister said that as of Wednesday night, soldiers alone had recovered 22 bodies and rescued 110 people.

“We are searching house to house,” military emergency unit official Angel Martinez told Spain’s national radio broadcaster RNE from the town of Utiel, where at least six people died on Thursday.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is heading to the region to witness the devastation firsthand as the country begins a three-day official mourning period.

Thousands of people were left without water and electricity, and hundreds were stranded because their vehicles were destroyed or the roads were blocked.

The region remained partially isolated, with many roads cut and train lines disrupted, including a high-speed service to Madrid that authorities said would not be repaired for several days.

While Valencia was hit the hardest by the storm, two more deaths were reported in the neighboring Castile La Mancha region. Southern Andalusia reported one death.

The relative calm of the next day also gave time to reflect and question whether authorities could have done more to save lives.

The regional government has been criticized for not sending flood warnings to people’s mobile phones until 8pm on Tuesday, when flooding began in some areas.

Spain’s Mediterranean coast is accustomed to autumn storms that can cause flooding. However, this was the strongest flash flood event in recent memory.

Scientists attribute this to climate changeThis is also behind the increasing temperatures, droughts and warming of the Mediterranean in Spain. – Access point