Severe rainfall in Spain causes flooding, fatalities, and major disruptions

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Sudden heavy rain has poured down in eastern and southern Spain, resulting in dozens of fatalities and widespread damage.

In just one day, the amount of rain equivalent to a month fell, causing train derailments and flight cancellations.

Reporter Ahn Da-young has the details.

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The city center of Valencia, the third largest city in Spain, has turned into a river.

Dozens of vehicles are submerged and tangled, with some floating away.

Yesterday, a month's worth of rain fell in eastern and southern Spain within a single day.

[Resident of Albacete, southeastern Spain: "A 90-year-old here said he has never seen anything like this in his lifetime."]

In Andalusia's southern region, the amount of rain that typically falls in October was surpassed fourfold in just one day.

Rivers overflowed, and rescue teams had to use helicopters to save people, while hail the size of ping pong balls fell in some areas.

As a result of the sudden heavy rain, at least 60 people have been reported dead so far.

[Antonio Carmona/Resident of Andalusia: "Many dogs and horses were swept away, and the rain took everything. Another neighbor is trapped in a car, and we don't even know if they are alive or dead."]

Rail and air transport have also come to a standstill.

A high-speed train carrying over 270 passengers derailed in Andalusia, leading to the suspension of train services on some routes.

At Valencia Airport, incoming flights were diverted, and departing flights were canceled.

Rain is expected to continue until tomorrow local time, raising concerns about further damage.

Meteorological experts analyzed that the sudden heavy rain was caused by a cold front crossing southeastern Spain, which led to a rapid drop in temperature.

This is Ahn Da-young reporting for KBS News from Paris.