Helicopters and diggers are being used for rescues as floods wreak havoc in Spain

Dozens of people are known to have died after heavy rain caused flooding in south-eastern Spain.

Pictures uploaded on social media show the floodwaters causing chaos, collapsing bridges and dragging cars along the roads.

In the town of Chiva near Valencia, more than a year’s worth of rain fell in just eight hours and local officials say it is “impossible” to put a final figure on the number of people who died.

More than 1,000 soldiers have been deployed to help with the rescue operation as a large number of people are unaccounted for.