Restoring lost memories

STUDENTS: AFTER SPAIN'S DEADLY FLOODS, VOLUNTEERS WORK TO RECOVER PHOTOGRAPHS

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Hundreds of photographs hang to dry at a laboratory, fragile reminders of birthday celebrations and summer holidays nearly swept away by last year's deadly floods in Spain.

But thanks to a university-led initiative, many of these memories have been rescued from ruin.

Decked in white lab coats and masks to protect themselves from mould and other contaminants, a group of students at a laboratory at Valencia's Polytechnic University carefully clean and restore photos.

A sign next to a pile of mud-stained photo albums that sits by the entrance warns: "Do not touch. Contaminated material."

Nearby, a pile of empty photo albums still bears traces of the mud that swept through parts of the Mediterranean region of Valencia during the torrential rains of 29 October, 2024, killing more than 200 people and destroying thousands of homes.