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.Â
Source: CNA
