At least 52 people have died in eastern Spain after flash floods washed away cars, turned village streets into rivers and shut down train lines and highways. This is the worst natural disaster to hit the European country in recent times.

Emergency services in the eastern Valencia region confirmed a death toll of 51 on Wednesday.

The central government of the Castile-La Mancha region added that an 88-year-old woman was found dead in the city of Cuenca.

Rainstorms caused flooding across much of southern and eastern Spain on Tuesday, stretching from Malaga to Valencia.

Rushes of mud-colored water plunged vehicles through the streets at high speeds, while pieces of wood containing household items swirled in the water.

Police and emergency services used helicopters to lift people from their homes and inflatable boats to reach motorists trapped on car roofs.

Authorities reported several people missing late Tuesday, but the next morning came the shocking news that dozens had been found dead.

“Yesterday was the worst day of my life,” Ricardo Gabaldón, the mayor of Utiel, a town in Valencia, told national broadcaster RTVE. He said several people were still missing in his city.

“We were trapped like rats. Cars and dumpsters streamed through the streets. The water rose to three meters,” he said.

Over 1,000 soldiers from the Spanish emergency operations were deployed to the devastated areas. Rescue workers also rushed east from other parts of Spain. The Spanish central government has set up a crisis committee to coordinate rescue efforts.

An elderly couple was rescued from the upper floor of their house by a military unit with a bulldozer, accompanied by three soldiers with the huge shovel.

Television reports showed videos taken by panicked residents documenting water flooding the first floors of apartments, streams overflowing and at least one bridge giving way.

Spain has experienced similar autumn storms in recent years. However, nothing compared to the devastation of the last two days, reminiscent of the floods in Germany and Belgium in 2021, which killed 230 people.

The death toll is likely to rise as other regions have not yet reported any casualties and search efforts continue in hard-to-reach areas.

In the village of Letur in the neighboring region of Castile-La Mancha, Mayor Sergio Marín Sánchez said six people were missing.

Spain is still recovering from a severe drought and has continued to record record temperatures in recent years. Scientists believe the increase in extreme weather events is likely linked to climate change.

The storms spawned a freak hailstorm that punched holes in car windows and greenhouses, as well as a rarely seen tornado.

Transport was also affected.

A high-speed train with nearly 300 people on board derailed near Malaga, although rail authorities said no one was injured.

High-speed train service between the city of Valencia and Madrid was disrupted, as were several commuter lines.

Valencia regional president Carlos Mazón urged people to stay at home so as not to complicate rescue efforts, as access by road was already difficult due to fallen trees and destroyed vehicles.

As the water fell, thick layers of mud covered the streets.

“The neighborhood is destroyed, all the cars are on top of each other, it's literally smashed,” Christian Viena, a bar owner in the Valencian village of Barrio de la Torre, said by phone. “Everything is a total wreck, everything is ready to be thrown away. The mud is almost 30 centimeters deep.”

Outside Vienna's bar, people ventured out to see what they could save. Cars were piled up and the streets were full of clumps of water-soaked branches.

Located south of Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast, Valencia is a tourist destination known for its beaches, citrus groves and as the home of the Spanish rice dish paella.

The rain had eased in Valencia late on Wednesday morning. However, more storms were forecast until Thursday, according to the Spanish weather service.