Spain says nearly half of flood victims in Valencia 70 and older

AFP , Friday 15 Nov 2024

Almost half of the people killed in Spain's Valencia region during recent floods were 70 years old or older and 26 were foreigners, authorities said on Thursday.

Spain floods
A woman rests next to damaged furnitures in a street covered in mud in Paiporta, in the aftermath of deadly flooding in the region of Valencia, eastern Spain. AFP

 

The October 29 disaster marked the country's deadliest floods in decades. A total of 224 people were killed nationwide, with 216 of them in Valencia.

The Valencia victims included 190 Spaniards, nine Romanians, four Moroccans, four Chinese and two Britons, regional legal authorities said in a statement.

One citizen each from Ecuador, Venezuela, Ukraine, the Netherlands, Tunisia, Colombia and Paraguay were also among the fatalities, they added.

Victims aged 70 or older represented 104 of the dead in Valencia. Spain's population is ageing and the surging waters caught care home residents off guard, including in the hard-hit town of Paiporta.

Male victims were more numerous, with 131 men dying compared with 85 women.

Recovering and identifying bodies has been an arduous task for rescuers and forensic experts, who are continuing their work in Valencia with more victims believed to be missing.

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