Amid Mud And Confusion, Spain’s Search For Missing Becomes Urgent

In Spain, some families were arranging funerals on Tuesday after discovering the bodies of loved ones who perished in floods that claimed at least 217 lives. Meanwhile, others were anxiously awaiting news, torn between grief and the slim hope that missing relatives might still be found alive in the mud and debris.

 One week after the catastrophic rainfall, the civil guard and national police released an initial tally, reporting that 89 people were still missing, marking the first official count. This figure could potentially rise.

 On the same day, the central government approved a substantial relief package worth 10.6 billion euros (about $11.6 billion). The package includes payments of up to $66,000 for individuals whose homes were damaged, along with additional financial aid for those who sustained serious injuries.

 “There are still missing people to be found, and more companies, businesses and families affected,” Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said on Tuesday. “That is why we must continue working.”

Many families, however, aren’t relying solely on the government in their search for missing loved ones. Social media has been flooded with photos of those still unaccounted for. A crowdsourced map focused on Valencia—the worst-affected area in eastern Spain—marks the last-known locations of the missing. Another map provides real-time updates on the supplies residents need most urgently.

 “We had to act quickly, because people were without basic resources,” said Jorge Sáiz, 32, who built the aid map with his wife, Sandra Navarro, 31.

 A social media account named “DANA Desaparecidos,” meaning “Missing From the Storm,” began sharing images and details about missing individuals last week. Among the nearly 100 posts is one of Luciano Bravo Morales, a 58-year-old man with a round face and a warm, crinkled smile.

According to his niece, Alexia Romero, Mr. Bravo was in the town of Catarroja, near Valencia, on the evening of October 29 when the floodwaters started to rise.

He called his family and climbed on top of a car, she said. Then, he grabbed the awning of a bar. “The last thing he said was, ‘The water is rising too much, the water is going to take me away,’ ” said Ms. Romero, 32.

Her family contacted a hotline established by the local government and filed an official missing person report. They also posted his photo on social media. The difference in response was startling, she said. While no officials have followed up, people managing the social media pages reached out to offer assistance.

 “I know that the streets need to be cleaned but — with all due respect — I think they should prioritize searching for missing persons,” Ms. Romero said. “The life of a person is more important than cleaning the lower parts of a house.”

For days, authorities have struggled to obtain an accurate count of the missing, amid growing frustration and the spread of unverified reports. Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente explained in a radio interview on Monday that multiple calls might have been made about the same individual, potentially inflating the numbers.

On the other hand, there could also be an undercount, as people can only file official reports in person, which some may not have been able to do yet. Additionally, many police stations have been damaged or destroyed.

 “The government cannot declare a person missing through a phone call,” Nieves Goicoechea, communications director for the Spanish Interior Ministry, said in a phone interview earlier on Tuesday. “There is transparency, but our transparency must be responsible.”

As the government worked to organize its efforts, families became increasingly frustrated. Samuel Ruiz, 28, is still searching for his father, Francisco Ruiz Martínez. He explained that his 64-year-old father had been driving his nephews near Montserrat, a town close to Valencia, when the car became trapped in the floodwaters.

Mr. Ruiz Martínez broke the window to help the boys—aged 5 and 10—climb onto the roof of the car. However, when he attempted to climb up himself, his son said, he lost his grip and slipped. “The water took him away,” Mr. Ruiz said in a phone interview. “He disappeared.”

However, Samuel Ruiz noted that people on social media have been sharing his father’s photo in an effort to spread the word. “The most effective help has come from volunteers and the local community,” he said.

 As families continue to worry and hope, many are echoing a phrase that has become a kind of motto: “Solo el pueblo salva al pueblo,” meaning “Only the people can save the people.”