Photos: Reuters
The most devastating flash floods in Spain's modern history have claimed at least 211 lives, with dozens still missing, four days after torrential rains ravaged the eastern region of Valencia, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Saturday. In a televised address, Sanchez revealed that the government was dispatching an additional 5,000 army troops to assist with search and cleanup efforts, on top of the 2,500 soldiers already on the ground. "This is the largest operation conducted by the Armed Forces in Spain during peacetime," Sanchez stated. "The government will mobilize all necessary resources for as long as they are required." This calamity marks the worst flood-related disaster in Europe since 1967, when at least 500 people perished in Portugal.
Meanwhile, volunteers have converged on Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences center for the first coordinated cleanup effort organized by regional authorities. The venue has been transformed into the central hub for the operation. In Valencia's Picanya suburb, 74-year-old shop owner Emilia expressed, "We feel abandoned; there are many people in need of assistance. It's not just my house; it's all the houses, and we're throwing away furniture, everything." She questioned, "When will help arrive to provide us with fridges and washing machines? We can't even wash our clothes or take a shower." Maria Jose Gilabert, a 52-year-old nurse from Picanya, shared, "We are devastated because there isn't much light to be seen here at the moment, not because help isn't coming—they are coming from all over Spain—but because it will be a long time before this area becomes habitable again."
The storm has triggered a new weather alert in the Balearic Islands, Catalonia, and Valencia, where rains are expected to persist over the weekend. Scientists warn that extreme weather events are becoming more frequent in Europe and elsewhere due to climate change. Meteorologists believe that the warming of the Mediterranean, which increases water evaporation, plays a crucial role in intensifying torrential rains.
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