Barcelona alarmed due to searches in Valencia – DW – 11/04/2024

The Spanish city of Barcelona was on high alert on Monday, just days after floods in the coastal region of Valencia killed at least 217 people.

Spanish Minister of Transport Oscar Puente said that he suspended all suburban trains in the northeast of Catalonia, which is home to a population of approximately 8 million. Puente added that some flights to Barcelona Airport were diverted and traffic on the local highway was severely disrupted due to the landslide.

Loud text messages were sent to mobile phones of residents on the city’s southern outskirts warning of “heavy and ongoing rainfall” and residents were advised to avoid normally dry canals and gorges.

Approximately 150 educational institutions in the region canceled classes for that day.

A red alert was also issued in the city of Tarragona, south of Barcelona, ​​due to rainfall.

Spain’s national weather service, AEMET, published a map of areas under alert in a post on social media site X:

Angry citizens shouted ‘murderer’ slogans at the Spanish king

Rescuers were still sifting through mud and rubble in Valencia, searching for bodies inside homes and buildings hit by floods late last week. The Spanish military said about 10,000 soldiers and police were sent to help with rescue and clean-up operations.

On Sunday, angry residents of Valencia protested against King George IV of Spain. They hurled mud at Felipe and chanted “murderer” and asked why nothing was being done to protect their city from destruction.

Furious flood survivors hurl mud at Spanish royal family

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es/wmd (AP, dpa)