Catastrophic flooding kills 95 in Spain – National & International News – WED 20Oct2024

Catastrophic flooding kills 95 in Spain.

UN chief warns of ethnic cleansing after Israeli strike kills nearly 100 in Gaza. 

Russian drill simulates massive response to nuclear strike.

Catastrophic flooding kills 95 in Spain

Yesterday, catastrophic flooding in central, eastern, and southern Spain killed at least 95 people. Many are missing and rescue operations are still underway. Most of the deaths, 92, have so far been in the Valencia region. Two deaths were also reported in the neighboring Castilla-La Mancha region, and another in Andalucia.

The floods came on rapidly after intense rain from a cold front moving over the warmer Waters of the Mediterranean. The phenomenon, called “gota fria”, or cold drop, causes warm saturated air to rise rapidly, resulting in torrential rains.

Dramatic photos of the aftermath of the flooding show cars piled up in narrow streets like toys. Some show mud still clinging to the outsides of buildings at head height.

Weather warnings were still in effect over much of central and southern Spain today, which continue to see heavy rain. 

Europe and the Mediterranean region have seen several catastrophic and deadly flooding events in recent years. Between July 12 and 15, 2021, flooding in Western Europe killed at least 220 people, most of them in Germany. In September of 2023, cyclone Daniel struck Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey, causing billions in damage and killing dozens of people in the three countries. Daniel went on to kill nearly 6,000 people across the Mediterranean in Libya.

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Israeli strike kills nearly 100 in Northern Gaza 

Yesterday, Israel carried out a deadly strike on a residential area of Beit Lahiya in Northern Gaza, killing nearly 100 people, including at least 25 children. This was the single deadliest event of the last 3 months and was roundly condemned internationally. Even US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller called the event “horrifying“. 

After the outcry, Israeli officials insisted they were “trying to understand” how the strike killed so many people, since they had ordered the area evacuated weeks ago. Of course, many in Northern Gaza have refused to evacuate. This is, firstly, because Palestinians know that there is no safe place in Gaza. Secondly, the Palestinians fear, with good reason, that if they leave their homes, they will never be allowed to return.

While still “trying to understand” the results of their actions, Israel hit Beit Lahia again today, killing at least 19.

Guterres- World must act to prevent ethnic cleansing

UN general Secretary Antonio Guterres has warned that the world must act to prevent Israel carrying out an all-out ethnic cleansing of Gaza. This project has been underway for nearly a year but has significantly intensified in the last month.

With the distraction of the Lebanon campaigns, and the shooting matches with Iran, Israel has stepped up its bombardments and forced starvation campaign, particularly in Northern Gaza. The Beit Lahiya strike was the seventh major mass casualty event in Gaza in the last week. In total, these events have killed almost 350 people. The majority of these strikes, and the deadliest, have been in Northern Gaza.

Meanwhile, the US has reiterated its demand that Israel allow more aid into Gaza, and particularly into Northern Gaza, where aid has been completely blocked since October 1. The US has set a November 12 deadline to see significant improvement and has warned that some weapons shipments could be halted if Israel does not comply. 

Russian drill simulates massive response to nuclear strike 

Amid escalating tensions with the West over Ukraine, Russian forces carried out a massive missile drill yesterday. The drill was a show of Russia’s ability to respond to a nuclear threat by launching missiles from the land, sea and air. This included the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northwestern Russia to the Kura test range in Kamchatka in the country’s far East, a distance of over 3,000 miles. Officials say the test was successful and all missiles hit their mark. Submarines also fired ICBMs from the Barents Sea, and Sea of Okhotsk.

In a statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the test “takes into account growing geopolitical tensions and emerging new threats and risks” and reaffirmed that Russia’s massive arsenal of nuclear weapons remains “the ultimate, extreme measure of ensuring its security”.

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