Fresh weather warnings for rain, hail and storms have been issued by the Spanish government as the huge volunteer clean-up in the wake of the devastating floods continues.
The hardest-hit region of Valencia is among the southern and eastern regions where Aemet, the country’s meteorological agency, has implemented an orange alert for a “significant risk” of rains and storms, which might also bring hail, between 9am and midnight on Sunday. Castellón is among the areas facing a yellow weather warning, which means there is still a “risk”.
It comes as an extra 5,000 soldiers are being deployed to the flooded Valencia region to help with the “biggest operation by the Armed Forces in Spain in peacetime”, prime minister Pedro Sanchez said.
Along with 5,000 extra police officers and the 2,500 soldiers already on the ground, the troops will also join volunteers who continue to flock to support the search and clean-up efforts as the country reels from its worst flood-related disaster in modern history.
In a televised statement on Saturday, Mr Sanchez said the number of people killed has risen to 214, with that number expected to continue to increase as more bodies are believed to be within the wreckage.
Before-and-after satellite images have emerged showing the scale of devastation in Valencia. Vast areas of land are seen covered in a brown swamp of muddy water after the torrential rainfall on Tuesday.
Prime minister to visit affected areas with King and Queen of Spain
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez has met with Spain’s crisis committee as the mammoth rescue and clean-up operation continues in the eastern Valencia region.
He will later meet with the King and the Queen to visit the affected regions.
The official government account wrote on X: “The President of the Government, @sanchezcastejon, chaired this morning the Crisis Committee to monitor the effects of the DANA in La Moncloa.
“He will then accompany Their Majesties the King and Queen on their visit to the affected areas in the Valencian Community.”
Fresh weather warnings for rain and hail in Valencia
Fresh weather warnings for rain, hail and storms have been issued by the Spanish government.
The hardest-hit region of Valencia is among the southern and eastern regions where Aemet, the country’s meteorological agency, has implemented an orange alert for a “significant risk” of rains and storms, which might also bring hail, between 9am and midnight on Sunday.
Castellón is among the areas facing a yellow weather warning, which means there is a “risk” of rains, storms and hail.
Watch: Rescuers wade through building’s chest-high water in search for missing
Spain floods: Rescuers wade through building’s chest-high water in search for missing
Rescuers in Spain braved chest-high water inside buildings to search for missing people in the catastrophic aftermath of flooding, footage posted on Saturday (2 November) showed. At least 214 people have died in the extreme weather conditions, with more than 200 of those killed in the hardest-hit region of Valencia alone. Footage posted by the Guardia Civil police force showed mountain rescue specialists wading through water inside a garage in Paiporta. An extra 5,000 soldiers are being deployed to the flooded Valencia region to support the “biggest operation by the Armed Forces in Spain in peacetime”, prime minister Pedro Sanchez said.
Spain mounts biggest peacetime disaster recovery operation as death toll reaches 214
The deadliest flash floods in Spain’s modern history have killed at least 214 people and dozens were still unaccounted for, four days after torrential rains swept the eastern region of Valencia, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday.
In a televised statement, Sanchez said the government was sending 5,000 more army troops to help with the searches and clean-up in addition to 2,500 soldiers already deployed.
“It is the biggest operation by the Armed Forces in Spain in peacetime,” Sanchez said. “The government is going to mobilize all the resources necessary as long as they are needed.”
Valencian regional authorities said on Saturday night the total number of fatalities in the region was 211, plus two from Castilla La Mancha and one in Andalusia.
Why were Spain’s ‘catastrophic’ floods so deadly? Everything we know as images reveal devastation
The deadly floods left cars piled up like toys in streets, swallowed homes, and covered entire neighbourhoods in sludge and debris.
Thousands of people are still facing power and water cuts and shortages of basic goods, especially in the eastern region, the worst affected.
Read the full article here:
Osasuna dedicates soccer win to its coach and to victims floods
After scoring Osasuna‘s winning goal, Ante Budimir showed fans a jersey with the words “Be strong Valencia.”
He and his teammates dedicated Osasuna’s 1-0 win over Valladolid in the Spanish league on Saturday to the victims of the deadly floods that hit the Valencia region this week, and especially to Osasuna coach Vicente Moreno, who is from the area and a day earlier gave an emotional interview during his news conference.
Moreno is from Massanassa, one of the cities affected the most by the floods that killed more than 200 people in southern Spain. He cried while talking about this week’s tragedy and those affected by it. The coach was not on the bench during Saturday’s match because of a suspension.
Read the full story: Spain deploys 5,000 more soldiers as death toll rises
Two Chinese killed and two more missing in Spain’s flood
The Chinese embassy in Spain confirmed its two nationals were killed and two are missing in Spain after flash floods tore through the towns in the country.
They were among the 214 people who have been confirmed death so far with more bodies expected to be found as the rescue operation continued.
The tragedy is already Europe’s worst flood-related disaster since 1967 when at least 500 people died in Portugal.
A British citizen has also died in the tragedy. The 71-year-old who has not been named died hours after he was rescued from his home on the outskirts of Málaga, Spain.
‘Where is the aid? My town is a cemetery’
Dani Sorní, a 22-year-old resident of Paiporta, the epicentre of the disaster, described the grave conditions. “This town is a cemetery, with bodies trapped under a metre-and-a-half of mud and under cars,” he told The Independent.
With the final death toll feared to be 400, survivors described a “tsunami” of water trapping victims in their cars and their fury over poor planning and slow response by authorities.
Read the full article here:
Death toll mounts to 214 after two more bodies found
The death toll has soared to at least 214 deaths and dozens still remain unaccounted for, four days after torrential rains swept the eastern region of Valencia.
Valencian regional authorities said on Saturday night the total number of fatalities in the region was 211, plus two from Castilla La Mancha and one in Andalusia.
Prime minister Pedro Sanchez said the government was sending 5,000 more army troops to help with the searches and clean-up in addition to 2,500 soldiers already deployed.
“It is the biggest operation by the Armed Forces in Spain in peacetime,” Mr Sanchez said. “The government is going to mobilize all the resources necessary as long as they are needed.”
Source: independent.co.uk