Spain's Valencia struggles to get children back to school after deadly floods

Cleaning tools are placed in the playground of the Juan XXII school, which is expected to open in the next few days after heavy rains caused flooding in Catarroja, Valencia, Spain, November 11, 2024. REUTERS/Eva Manez

CATARROJA, Spain (Reuters) - Thousands of students in Spain's eastern Valencia region returned to classes on Monday, two weeks after floods killed over 200 people and devastated towns in the area.

Controversy over the regional government's handling of the floods still rages, and a teachers' union accused it of exaggerating the number returning and leaving the clean-up to teachers and pupils.