(Reuters) -The Spanish football federation (RFEF) postponed four Copa del Rey matches on Wednesday after the worst flash floods in three decades swept the eastern region of the country, killing at least 62 people.
The games featuring clubs Valencia, Levante, Manises and Hercules de Alicante have been rescheduled after authorities advised against all non-essential travel in the region.
Valencia’s match against Parla Escuela in Madrid, which was scheduled to kick off later on Wednesday, will now be held on Nov. 6 while Levante’s game at Pontevedra will be played a day later.
Thursday’s fixtures were also affected, with Ejea v Hercules de Alicante postponed by a week and Manises v Getafe now postponed to an undecided date.
“Given the current circumstances, it is possible that other matches scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, may also experience changes,” the RFEF said in a statement.
“The RFEF, in coordination with the various clubs, is working intensively to assess all possible scenarios and take appropriate measures.”
Apart from Valencia, Getafe had also requested the postponement when weather agency AEMET declared a red alert in eastern Valencia as firefighters rescued several people trapped in floodwaters due to storm Dana.
Valencia, who are bottom of the LaLiga standings, are scheduled to host Real Madrid on Saturday.
Several LaLiga clubs, including Real Madrid and Barcelona, expressed their condolences to the victims of the flood affecting the areas of Valencia, Albacete and Andalusia.
“Barcelona wishes to express its sympathy to the relatives of the victims and our solidarity with the counties in Valencia and parts of Albacete and Andalusia affected by the torrential rain,” the Catalan club said in a statement.
LaLiga said in a statement on Wednesday a minute of silence will be observed at all upcoming matches in the next two rounds.
“LaLiga expresses its condolences and those of all the clubs of Spanish football to the families and friends of the victims and the missing persons,” it added.
Valencia made their stadium available as a drop-off point for citizen donations of food and essential items after the club teamed up with Valencia Food Bank to help those affected.
Motorsports also faced the brunt of the torrential rain, with Formula E testing being affected at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit – which is set to host the final race of the MotoGP season in two weeks.
“Due to damage to the main access road caused by a burst river bank nearby, the circuit is currently inaccessible by vehicle,” Formula E said in a statement.
“Alternative access routes in and out of the circuit are currently being investigated.”
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha, Shifa Jahan in Bengaluru and Anita Kobylinska in Gdansk; Editing by Peter Rutherford and Christian Radnedge)
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