60 people dies as flood swept away bridge in Spain
Terrifying footage has emerged of the moment horrendous flash flooding destroyed an entire bridge in a town in Valencia late last night as Spanish authorities declared today at least 64 people have been confirmed dead after a year's worth of rain fell in just eight hours.
Paiporta bridge in the town of the same name was left completely devastated as the river beneath burst its banks and continued to rise, battering the buttresses until the concrete structure crumbled into the deluge.
Horrified onlookers screamed as the bridge suddenly collapsed and folded itself into the surging waters. Its streetlamps were seen flickering briefly before they were abruptly extinguished and lost beneath the raging floods.
The dystopian scene in Paiporta – where at least one baby was counted among the dead – is just one of many to have been captured by locals, many of whom have lost their livelihoods, and in some cases, their loved ones.
The devastating storms turned streets into rivers and left hundreds trapped in their homes, with many forced to climb trees, scale lampposts and sprint desperately to the upper floors of buildings to escape.
Entire towns were plunged underwater while partially submerged cars were piled up at awkward angles after the surge battered them into buildings after a year’s worth of rain fell in roughly eight hours in some places.
The death toll is expected to rise sharply as emergency services continue their searches for dozens of people said to be still unaccounted for in what is one of the nation’s worst-ever natural disasters.
Another clip revealed the moment a helpless woman was swept away by unstoppable flood waters.
The unidentified victim could be heard screaming as the deluge pushed her down a waterlogged street. Horrified onlookers stood on balconies above stretched out their arms in a futile attempt to come to her rescue in the chilling clip.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez this morning sought to reassure victims that the government ‘would not abandon’ them.
‘All of Spain weeps with all of you. Our absolute priority is to help you… We won’t abandon you,’ Sanchez said in a televised address.
‘For those who at this moment are still looking for their loved ones, the whole of Spain weeps with you,’ Sanchez added, vowing to ‘rebuild your streets, your squares, your bridges’.
