The number of victims of the floods in Spain has exceeded 200, according to the latest update from the emergency services of the Valencian Community, which confirmed 202 deaths. Three days after the catastrophic event caused by Dana in the Valencia region, the search for the missing continues unabated, but the number of people still missing remains uncertain. The emergency is accentuated by the fact that around 366,000 residents in around twenty municipalities do not have access to drinking water and 50,000 are without electricity.

The lack of water, due to damage to pipes caused by the flood, has hampered operations to remove the dried mud in several municipalities. To deal with the situation, 500 more soldiers are joining the 1,200 already active in the area today, while the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, is expected to visit. The main objective is to provide essential goods such as water, food and medicine to the affected populations.

The Valencian Community will be cut off from rail links with Madrid and part of Catalonia for at least two weeks due to the severe damage to the rail network. In addition, up to 150 roads have been damaged and several sections of the A7 motorway are closed, with many cars stuck on the edges of the road.

So far, 158 victims have been recovered; autopsies are being carried out in a temporary morgue set up in a parking lot, while a second morgue has been created in the Valencia Fair to receive the other recovered bodies. Defense Minister Margarita Robles explained that many people were on the ground floors of homes or in garages at the time of the flood and that there may still be some alive among the missing.

There are no Italian citizens among the victims identified so far. The Italian Embassy in Spain has activated a task force to manage any emergencies related to family members of missing persons. In response to the crisis, several migrants are cooking for the local population in Picanya, one of the most affected municipalities. These migrants from various countries have decided to use the food left in the hotel where they were staying to prepare meals to offer to those in need.

The basic needs of the affected residents include food and water; many citizens are organizing caravans to bring aid to devastated areas such as Sedaví and Picanya. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed gratitude to the volunteers and public officials involved in the relief operations. Despite the collective effort, the emergency services coordination center has urged volunteers not to travel to the affected areas so as not to block access to relief. The situation of road infrastructure is critical; it is estimated that it will take several days to restore the functionality of the highways and railway lines damaged by the disaster.