Terrifying moment woman swept away by Spain floods live-streams herself clinging to bush sparking desperate rescue hunt
THIS is the horrifying moment a woman live-streamed herself as she desperately clung to a bush in flood-ravaged Spain.
Shocking footage shows Maite Jurado pleading for help after she was trapped by the floods in Paiporta, Valencia.
The shocking disaster has led to the deaths of at least 140 people, with that toll expected to rise in the coming days.
According to reports more than 1,200 people remained trapped on highways.
There are an estimated 5,000 abandoned cars on the roads.
At least 92 deaths have been recorded in Valencia alone, and a 71-year-old Brit was killed in Málaga.
Maite was heard screaming in fear on the live-stream.
In the video Maite says: “I’m here, right now I’m clinging to this plant which is what is helping me shelter.
“But look, there is nothing around me, there is nothing.
“It’s like I am in the middle of the sea.
Fortunately, Maite’s friend was able to share the clip far and wide on social media.
Underneath the X account @LausMt said: “She has been trapped by the water, clinging to a plant, and her car has been swept away by the current, she is alone and does not have much coverage.”
The tweet went onto recieve 1.5million views.
Four hours later, @LausMt reported that Maite had been rescued and was safe.
The quick-thinking user thanked everyone who shared and supported her initial post.
The X account only has 358 followers, making it all the more miraculous how many people saw her post.
IMMEASURABLE DAMAGE
This comes after catastrophic floods have swept Spain in recent days, the worst flood-related natural disaster to hit Spain in almost 30 years.
In 1973, at least 150 people were estimated to have died when floods hit the south-east of the country.
A map released by Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET showed which regions were hit the worst by the heavy rainfall.
Countless victims are thought to be trapped under the rubble, or be trapped in their cars after they failed to escape the rising tides.
Thick mud has covered homes and streets, leaving displaced residents fighting through the mess to begin cleaning.
Survivors have spoken of the horror they witnessed and faced as they tried to escape the waves.
Guillermo Serrano Pérez, 21, from Paiporta, spoke of how the water rushed down “like a tsunami”, which forced him and his parents to abandon their car and climb onto a bridge to safety.
Patricia Rodriguez, 45, said: “Thank goodness no one slipped because if anyone had fallen, the current would have dragged them away.”
Spain has announced three days of national mourning, whilst the restricted search efforts continue.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez expressed his determination to keep fighting on in an emotional address to the nation.
He said: “The whole of Spain weeps with you… we won’t abandon you.”
The torrential rain that triggered the flash floods destroyed bridges and buildings.
There are widespread accusations that disaster relief authorities were too slow to react with warnings, meaning people could not get off the roads quickly.
The Civil protection agency did not issue an alert until 20:15 local time.
By this point, Chiva and several other towns had already been flooded for at least two hours.
BRIDGE DESTROYED
The Sun reported on the devastating moment that an entire bridge was wiped out in an instant.
Apocalyptic footage shows the Paiporta river rip into the side of the bridge, breaking it clean in half and mowing down overhead lights.
Shocked bystanders can be heard screaming as the waters mercilessly shred away the area’s infrastructure.
It took just three seconds for the bridge to disappear from view.
The country has been plagued with looters in the wake of the historic turmoil.
Spanish police have arrested at least 39 people who were allegedly trying to take advantage of the horrendous conditions.
Spain‘s Defence Minister, Margarita Robles, said she is “not optimistic” about how high the death toll could climb and the number of missing is unknown.
With extreme risk warnings in effect all over the country, more torrential downpours are expected to massacre Spain in the coming hours and days.