Spain floods latest: 5,000 more soldiers deployed as satellite photos show extent of devastation
Death toll expected to keeping rising as Spain’s worst flood-related disaster in modern history sweeps across region of Valencia
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Your support makes all the difference.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.
Along with 5,000 extra police officers and the 2,500 soldiers already on the ground, the troops will lead search and clean-up efforts as Spain reels from its worst flood-related disaster in modern history.
In a televised statement on Saturday, prime minister Pedro Sanchez said the number of people killed has risen to 211. He said the government would “mobilise all the resources necessary as long as they are needed”, with more bodies believed to be within the devastation.
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.
Officials said the death toll is likely to keep rising, with most of the deaths so far in Valencia, the eastern region that bore the brunt of the devastation.
Fresh weather alerts are in place for Spain’s east coast and its western border with Portugal. Rains are expected to continue into the weekend.
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Watch: ‘It’s all destroyed’: Aftermath of deadly flash floods in Spain
90 per cent of households in Valenica have power restored
On Friday, the mass spontaneous arrival of volunteers complicated access for professional emergency workers to some areas, prompting authorities to devise a plan on how and where to deploy them.
Rafael Armero, 19, who was in Alfafar, a suburb of Valencia, said on Saturday: “I have been going around the town for three days helping everyone who needs it. We have a backpack full of food and water for anyone who needs it.”
More than 90 per cent of the households in Valencia had regained power on Friday, utility Iberdrola said, though thousands still lacked electricity in cut-off areas that rescuers struggled to reach.
Watch: ‘It’s all destroyed’: Aftermath of deadly flash floods in Spain
90 per cent of households in Valenica have power restored
On Friday, the mass spontaneous arrival of volunteers complicated access for professional emergency workers to some areas, prompting authorities to devise a plan on how and where to deploy them.
Rafael Armero, 19, who was in Alfafar, a suburb of Valencia, said on Saturday: “I have been going around the town for three days helping everyone who needs it. We have a backpack full of food and water for anyone who needs it.”
More than 90 per cent of the households in Valencia had regained power on Friday, utility Iberdrola said, though thousands still lacked electricity in cut-off areas that rescuers struggled to reach.
Is it safe to travel to Spain and should I cancel my holiday after flooding disaster?
Eastern Spain has been hit with devastating flash flooding this week, the worst flooding disaster the area has experienced in decades.
Rainstorms started on Tuesday (29 October) and continued into Wednesday. In the aftermath of the floods, cars have been piled on the street surrounded by a sea of debris from damaged buildings and structures.
Here is the latest on the situation in Spain and what you need to know about travel.
Amelia Neath reports:
Is it safe to travel to Spain? Should I cancel my holiday?
Flooding has severly impacted the Valencia region, with more rain on the way in the the southwest in Huelva
Worst of the storm over in Mallorca
The worst of the storm is over in Majorca despite much of the island being hit by torrential rain on Friday night, according to local media reports.
Javier Bonet, the first deputy mayor of Majorcan capital Palma, urged locals and tourists to only leave their homes if “absolutely necessary” on Friday.
“We are not on red alert, but it is essential to warn the population to avoid greater risks,” he added.
But the Mallorca Daily Bulletin reports that the “storm is subsiding” and the “emergency services believe that the worst of the cold snap has passed”.
Emergency services still advise significant caution as rain is still possible on Saturday.
Full report: Spain deploys 5,000 more soldiers as death toll from devastating floods hits 211
The death toll after flash flooding wreaked devastation in Spain has reached 211, as the prime minister announced that 5,000 additional soldiers had been deployed to assist the rescue operation.
An unknown number of people remain missing after the country suffered its deadliest natural disaster in living memory, which saw heavy rainfall wash away houses and cars in the eastern and central regions.
On Saturday, rescuers were still searching for bodies in stranded cars and sodden buildings on Saturday, four days after the storm which has devastated the country.
Holly Evans reports:
Spain deploys 5,000 more soldiers as death toll from devastating floods reaches 211
An unknown number of people remain missing while tourist hotspot Majorca remains on lockdown
Live: Rescue operations as Spain recovers from flash flood devastation
Follow the link below to watch live as volunteers and emergency services carry out rescue operations in the devastated eastern region of Valencia.
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Satellite photos show level of devastation in eastern Valencia region
‘It’s all destroyed’: Aftermath of deadly flash floods in Spain
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