Valencia, Spain

In a miraculous rescue amid Spain's flash floods, an intrepid woman was rescued after spending three days trapped in a car beside her deceased sister-in-law.

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What happened?

The unnamed woman was found alive in the Valencia region. She was trapped in a car for three days following a flash flood that has left over 200 dead and over 2000 missing. Rescuers located her by following faint cries from within a pile of damaged cars. She is yet to be identified.

Also read | Spain’s largest peacetime recovery mission underway as flood death toll reaches 211

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Revealing the amazing rescue story to volunteers, Martin Perez, the president of the regional Proteccion Civil, said: "After three days, we've found a person alive in a car."

Military mobilised

Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has mobilised the largest peacetime military operation in the country’s history, with 10,000 troops and police sent to the disaster zone.

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Despite European offers of assistance, including from France and Portugal, Spain has opted for a national response. Sánchez's government has also applied for European Commission aid to support reconstruction in affected regions, which include not only Valencia but parts of Castilla-La Mancha.

This move came amid mounting criticism of the regional response.

Also read | Scary images show parts of Spain appear like inland sea from space following deadly floods

Despite the scale of the tragedy, Valencia's conservative leader, Carlos Mazón, has held the emergency at level two, stopping the central government from taking full control—a decision that has sparked calls for his resignation.

Rescue efforts underway

The response effort involves not only local and military personnel but also hundreds of civilian volunteers who are delivering essential supplies to isolated communities. Travel restrictions remain in place, with some local roads damaged beyond access. 

Valencia's conservative leader, Carlos Mazón, has held the emergency at level two, stopping the central government from taking full control—a decision that has sparked calls for his resignation.

As soldiers and emergency workers comb through flooded garages and tunnels, hundreds of volunteers are helping deliver supplies to isolated areas. The Spanish government has applied for European aid, but so far has declined direct assistance from other nations, including offers from France and Portugal.

(With inputs from agencies)