BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Flash floods in eastern Spain swept away cars, turned village streets into rivers, disrupted rail lines and highways and killed at least 72 people in the worst natural disaster to hit the European nation in recent memory. Rainstorms that started Tuesday and continued Wednesday caused flooding in a wide swath of southern and eastern Spain, stretching from Malaga to Valencia. Muddy torrents tumbled vehicles down streets at high speeds, while pieces of wood swirled in the water alongside household items.
Police and rescue services used helicopters to lift people from their homes and rubber boats to reach drivers stranded on the roofs of cars. Emergency services in the eastern region of Valencia confirmed a death toll of 70 people on Wednesday. Another two casualties were reported in the neighboring Castilla La Mancha region.
“Yesterday was the worst day of my life,” Ricardo Gabaldón, the mayor of Utiel, a town in Valencia, told national broadcaster RTVE on Wednesday. He said six residents of his town had perished and several more were unaccounted for. “We were trapped like rats.
Cars and trash containers were flowing down the streets. The water was rising to 3 meters (9.8 feet),” he said.
Searchers worked to find survivors and victims, with countless numbers still missing. Spain’s government said it would declare three days of mourning starting Thursday for those killed in the devastating flash floods. “For those who are looking for their .