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Date Published: 15/11/2024

Spain mourns 224 victims of the October DANA floods, 9 of whom were children

The search for 16 missing persons continues in Valencia

The DANA tragedy of 2024 was one of the worst natural disasters Spain has even seen. Countless people have been left homeless, car-less and without jobs but above all, the senseless loss of so many lives is the most heartbreaking outcome.

The province of Valencia was by far the worst hit by the storms and floods of October 29 and as people attempt to rebuild and recover, the death toll sadly continues to grow. According to the latest data, 216 people died here. Of these, 131 were men and 85 were women. The victims were made up of 190 Spanish nationals and 26 people from 11 different countries, including the UK.

The Spanish government has now confirmed that 224 people lost their lives in the disaster, with 16 still missing. In addition to the 216 victims in the Valencian Community, there were seven fatalities in Castilla-La Mancha and one in Andalucía.

The municipalities of Paiporta, Catarroja, Valencia and Alfafar were among the hardest hit, with 45, 25, 16 and 15 fatalities, respectively.

DANAs are notoriously unpredictable weather patterns and when it struck, it did so violently and swiftly, catching thousands of people off guard. In the wake of the catastrophe, numerous videos emerged showing streets and homes filling up with water in the blink of an eye, destroying everything in its path.

Although much of the footage centres around the busy city itself, rural Valencia bore the brunt and among the victims, 100 were 70 years old or older, while 15 of the lost souls were over 90 years of age. Nine children also died, showing just how brutal and indiscriminate the disaster was.

While the local authorities have come under plenty of criticism for their less than immediate response to the flooding, police and aid workers in Valencia worked tirelessly to identify the victims, with 168 identifications made through fingerprint analysis and 45 through DNA.

But as of Wednesday November 13, 16 active files remain open for reports of missing persons.

Infrastructure repairs are ongoing, with 148 kilometres of roads restored out of 160 damaged by the floods. The commuter rail network is still being restored, with 124.7 kilometres remaining to be completed.

Unfortunately, the high-speed rail network between Valencia and Madrid was delayed from starting up during the week when another red weather warning for storms was issued by the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet).

Also of interest: Málaga battles floods and tornadoes as second DANA brings havoc

Image: X/Twitter

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