The death toll from the devastating floods that hit eastern and southern Spain nearly three weeks ago has risen to 227, with 13 people still missing, the government in Valencia, the hardest-hit region, reported on Monday.
At least 219 people died in Valencia alone, with 218 of them identified thus far.
The temporary mortuary set up in Valencia city to cope with the disaster has now been closed according to media reports.
Clean-up work was proceeding in many of the 80 worst-hit municipalities to the west and south of Valencia. The severe flooding was attributed to a dried-up river bed in the region that filled rapidly.
Images aired on Monday by public broadcaster RTVE showed that roads are still covered in mud and garages are still flooded. Large numbers of cars swept away by the floods can remain piled up.
Storm water drains are still blocked in many areas. A RTVE journalist reported that sewerage water was still flooding streets in Paiporta to the immediate south of Valencia city, where at least 45 people died.
Tensions over responsibility for the disaster and its response persist between the Valencia regional government and Spain’s central government in Madrid.
Carlos Mazón, president of the Valencia regional government, has refused to resign.
During a hearing in the Valencian parliament last week, Mazón detailed what he described as shortcomings by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in addressing the crisis.
A man stands next to several cars piled up in an area affected by the DANA Storm. Carlos Luján/EUROPA PRESS/dpa
