13 Missing after Madeira Floods

According to local officials in Madeira, there are still at least 13 people missing after the devastating amount of rain the island got on Saturday, which has flooded the capital. Authorities say that 19 of the people that were reported missing earlier have been found alive and fine.

When the disaster struck, buildings were damaged, cars were buried and people were taken away by the raging waters. In the areas most affected, schools have been closed. Civil servants were also given a day off while officials tried to keep the roads clear for rescue efforts to continue.

Rescue workers have been using bulldozers to remove wreckage and rubble, while they are also using sniffer dogs to find the missing people. Also, divers and paramedics who have been sent from the Portuguese mainland are helping with rescue efforts, while specialist army teams are trying to get to communities that are cut off from everything due to bridge collapses and roads being blocked. Officials are afraid that many of those who are still missing have been swept into the Atlantic.

Almost 500 people were evacuated from their homes because of the floods, which caused mud- and rockslides. Out of everyone that has been affected by the devastating events, the death toll officially remains at 42. There were concerns that the death toll would rise while mud and water was pumped from buildings and car parks and search teams made it into remote parts of Madeira. Portugal announced on Monday that they will have 3 days of mourning the worst disaster in Madeira in recent memory.

Prime Minister Jose Socrates said that he was very shocked at how severe the floods were after visiting the island on Sunday. Spain has offered to help with emergency funds, while the country has also asked for aid from the EU.