The death toll in the Spanish floods is already well above 100, and there are growing fears hundreds more could be dead after the dangerously heavy rain fall in Valencia Police have been using sniffer dogs, helicopters and drones to search for survivors of the Spanish floods as the death toll hit 140 last night.

There are growing fears hundreds more could be dead after a year’s rain fell in the space of eight hours in Valencia in the deadliest flooding to hit the country since 1996. Shocking drone footage released by Spain’s National Police has laid bare the scale of destruction as thousands remain trapped in cars. Bewildered residents who survived the surge were seen picking their way through the wreckage and debris littering mud-covered streets as the remains of cars, bikes and other vehicles lay smashed up against walls and bridges. Rescuers have also been using dinghies to find survivors in the floodwater, with the rain making some areas impossible to reach, according to local authorities.

Spain’s Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, also admitted the number of missing is “the big unknown at the moment” and confessed “I’m not optimistic” when asked if she believed the provisional death toll would not rise. Spain’s transport minister Oscar Puente said: “Unfortunately, there are dead people inside some vehicles,” as horrifying pictures emerged of hundreds of cars and trucks stranded on roads stained brown with mud. The Guardia Civil in Valencia said on Wednesday evening 1,200 people remained trapped between motorways. They have also been trying to stop looters who have been taking advantage of the catastrophic floods, robbing abandoned stores of high-value goods including computers, mobile phones and perfume, according to police.

They said in a statement: “’Our main operational efforts are focusing on helping and rescuing people and preventing looting. We’re also co-operating in the identification of bodies and helping to keep communication channels clear.”

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