Madrid, Nov 2 (EFE).- Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez said Saturday that he was sending 10,000 additional soldiers and police officers to help relief efforts in the flood-stricken eastern region of Valencia.
At least 211 people have died – the vast majority in Valencia – as a result of floods that were caused by torrential rains that began Monday night.
At a press conference from the Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Sánchez reiterated that “the central government is ready to help” after announcing the largest peacetime deployment of troops of state security forces and of the armed forces in Spain’s history.
“If (the Valencia authorities) need more resources, all they have to do is ask for it. There is no need to prioritize certain towns over others, nor to rank some tasks over others (…) If the Valencia community needs more troops, machinery, financing, or technical advice – all it needs to do is ask, and we will supply it,” he said.
The prime minister also warned the death toll was likely to rise further, as rescue efforts and cleanup operations continued.
Dozens of people are “still searching for their loved ones and hundreds of homes are grieving the loss of a relative, of a friend, or a neighbor,” Sánchez said.
Recovering and identifying the bodies of the deceased is one of the government’s priorities, the prime minister added.
The storm and resulting floods are one of the worst disasters in Spain’s history.
The downpours were triggered by a so-called ‘gota fria’ (Spanish for ‘cold drop’), a weather phenomenon that occurs in the autumn where cold air moves over the warm waters of the Mediterranean.
Warnings remain in effect for northeastern Spain, the south and the Balearic Islands.
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