The number of casualties resulting from severe flooding in southern and eastern Spain has increased to 211, with several individuals still unaccounted for. The government has responded by sending an additional 10,000 soldiers and police officers to support the ongoing rescue operations.
On Saturday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez described the floods as likely the most severe in Europe this century. He announced the updated death toll and acknowledged significant shortages of resources in the affected areas, with numerous municipalities enveloped in mud.
Rescue teams continued the recovery of bodies from towns near Valencia, with particular efforts to access submerged vehicles in underground car parks and tunnels flooded within minutes.
Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Spain’s Interior Minister, stated that it is currently impossible to determine the number of missing persons, cautioning against speculative figures. Rescue teams have been unable to reach certain isolated areas within the Valencia region.
The torrential rain on Tuesday precipitated the worst natural disaster in modern Spanish history, resulting in a death toll exceeding that of floods in Germany and Belgium in 2021, which claimed over 200 lives.
Residents in Spain are coping with distressing accounts of families swept away by the torrents and elderly care home residents trapped and in need of assistance.
In areas severely impacted by the flooding, where supplies of food and clean water are scarce, there have been instances of looting. Police have reported the arrest of 27 individuals for theft in the Valencia area.
Prime Minister Sánchez announced that the government would deploy an additional 5,000 military personnel to the affected region, increasing the total to 8,000, and doubling the number of police officers to 10,000.
Sánchez emphasized the need for a unified response, noting that efforts to improve rescue operations must be collaborative. With the regional government of Valencia overseeing the operations, Sánchez expressed readiness to respond to its requests.
Thousands of volunteers traveled to the affected areas on Friday to assist in cleanup efforts. To streamline these activities, the Valencia government directed volunteers to an arts and science center, which has been designated as a coordination hub.
The disaster has prompted scrutiny of the regional and central governments’ responses, questioning the timeliness and urgency of warnings about the severe weather. The tragedy underscores the challenges posed by climate change and unauthorized construction in flood-prone areas.
