Utiel, Spain - October 31, 2024 Local communities and volunteers in Spain's Valencia region have been rallying for relief after deadly floods last week, said a Chinese national residing in the region. The flash floods that swept through the Spanish regions of Valencia, Castilla-La Mancha, and Andalusia last week have claimed 217 lives as of Sunday, with many still unaccounted for. In an interview with China Media Group (CMG), Meng Meiyi, who lives and works in Valencia City, recounted the disastrous situation triggered by heavy rains. This disaster, triggered by intense rainfall, has been identified by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez as the second-deadliest flood event in Europe this century. Experts believe a complex interplay of environmental, historical, and climate factors contributed to the catastrophic outcome. Communities and residents in the region are helping each other to rebuild their homes amid the mud and debris left by the devastating floods, Meng said. Shotlist: Utiel Municipality, Valencia Autonomous Community, Spain - Oct 31, 2024: 1. Various of road sign, ruins after flood; 2. Damaged car being towed away; 3. Various of damaged car, bike, mud; 4. Ruin in house after flood; Valencia, Spain - Nov 3, 2024 5. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Meng Meiyi, Chinese national in Spain (ending with shots 6-8): "Heavy rains began in Valencia on Tuesday night (Oct 29), and the government issued an emergency alert, probably through base stations. All the phones, no matter what state they were in, received message. Valencia Province is one of the most affected areas. The province has a population of over 2 million people. Currently, the death toll has reached over 200, so the damage is indeed quite severe."; Utiel Municipality, Valencia Autonomous Community, Spain - Oct 31, 2024 6. Clean-up work on street in progress; 7. Various of ruins piling up; 8. Various of local residents on street; 9. Rescue force, large machine on street; Valencia, Spain - Nov 3, 2024 10. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Meng Meiyi, Chinese national in Spain (partially overlaid with shots 11-12/ending with shot 13): "Valencia isn't usually a region with heavy rainfall. This kind of once-in-decades flood caught everyone off guard. Towns are actively taking part in rescue efforts. Today, when I went to help distribute supplies, I saw volunteers from different countries. Valencia city has a population of 800,000. About one in eight residents has voluntarily joined the relief efforts. It's truly heartwarming to see that. When we went out to distribute supplies the day before yesterday, we saw that the government had also sent troops to the disaster areas."; [SHOTS OVERLAYIN SOUNDBITE] Beijing, China - Nov 3, 2024 11. Screen showing interview in progress; Valencia, Spain - Nov 1, 2024 12. Local residents carrying cleaning tools, walking on street; [SHOTS OVERLAYIN SOUNDBITE] 13. Military vehicles running on street; 14. Local residents carrying cleaning tools, walking on street; 15. Supermarket shelves; Valencia, Spain - Nov 3, 2024 16. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) Meng Meiyi, Chinese national in Spain (starting with shot 15/ending with shot 17): "Local authorities and residents in the region and neighboring areas are actively carrying out post-disaster relief work, so I think the situation will get better. However, according to the weather forecast, there is likely to be more rain in the coming days, and it's uncertain how this might affect the ongoing relief efforts."; Valencia, Spain - Nov 2, 2024 17. Damaged cars on street; 18. Various of workers removing debris; 19. Various of locals walking with cleaning tools; 20. Flooded street, Civil Guards. [Restriction - No access Chinese mainland]