King Felipe VI and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez are expected to visit southeastern Spain today, 3/11/2024, where unprecedented floods have left at least 213 dead in the worst natural disaster in the country’s recent history, according to authorities.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Sanchez announced the deployment of an additional 5,000 troops to help flood victims and search for missing persons, bringing the total to 7,500.

This is the largest deployment of the armed forces ever in peacetime Spain, according to Mr. Sanchez.

The military is joined by 5,000 police and gendarmes who went to support their other 5,000 colleagues in the field, always according to the head of government. These aids are eagerly awaited in some communities where, days after the tragedy, the situation is still described as chaotic.

According to the latest death toll released by authorities in Spain last night, at least 213 people have died in floods and landslides caused by torrential rains that fell overnight on Tuesday into Wednesday in the southeastern part of the country. Iberian Peninsula.

According to the Spanish Meteorological Service (AEMET), the rainfall in places was equal to that recorded in a year within a few hours.

This deluge is linked to the phenomenon of the “cold drop,” a local low-altitude depression quite common on the coast of Spain, which is likely to have been exacerbated by climate change, according to scientists, as the warmer atmosphere holds more moisture and makes the rains more severe.

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With 210 dead, the region of Valencia was the hardest hit. Castile-La Mancha recorded two deaths and Andalusia one.

It is the biggest natural disaster in the country’s recent history, said Mr. Sanchez, who is expected to accompany King Philip VI and Queen Letitia to the affected areas today.

The authorities anticipate that the death toll in Spain will become even heavier, while they are now methodically examining car trunks that ended up in underground tunnels and underground parking lots.

Although the chances of finding survivors are fading, the priority of the military and police remains the search for the missing, according to the government, as well as the restoration of the road network and infrastructure to allow the distribution of aid and the resumption of basic operations services.

According to the authorities, around 2,000 cars and trucks that were damaged have been collected, electricity has been restored to 94% of residents in the affected areas, and telecommunications are gradually being restored.

In the Valencia suburbs, search and clean-up operations continued yesterday amid a heavy atmosphere, dominated by mourning and now by residents’ anger over the authorities’ delayed response.

With information from: AFP, AMNA

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