Spain flood death toll rises to 158, dozens missing

KABUL (Pajhwok): At least 158 people are confirmed dead and dozens are missing after torrential rain battered the eastern region of Valencia, sweeping away bridges and buildings, media reports said on Friday.

Meteorologists said a year's worth of rain had fallen in eight hours in parts of Valencia on Tuesday, causing pile-ups on highways and submerging farmland in a region that produces two-thirds of the citrus fruit grown in Spain, a leading global exporter.

According to Reuters residents in the worst-hit places described seeing people clambering onto the roofs of their cars as a churning tide of brown water gushed through the streets, uprooting trees and dragging away chunks of masonry from buildings.

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