Valencia Struggles to Reopen Schools After Deadly Floods

CATARROJA, Spain, Nov 12— Thousands of students in Spain’s eastern Valencia region returned to school on Monday, two weeks after catastrophic floods killed over 200 people and left widespread devastation.

The floods, caused by heavy rains, sent rivers overflowing and unleashed torrents of muddy water through towns and cities. The waters drowned people in cars and underground car parks, and caused homes to collapse. Twenty-three people remain missing in the region.

As students returned to classes, controversy continued over the regional government’s handling of the disaster. A teachers’ union has criticized the authorities for overstating the number of children returning to school and for shifting the responsibility of clean-up efforts onto teachers and students themselves.

The floods have left a deep mark on the region, with many communities still struggling to recover. Amid the chaos, there are growing concerns about the effectiveness of the regional response and the challenge of getting children back to school amid ongoing cleanup efforts.

The Valencia region is facing an uphill battle as it works to rebuild schools and homes and restore normal life for its residents.