A volunteer searches for victims of the destruction along the Mediterranean Sea's shores at Saler beach, following heavy rain that caused floods in El Saler, near Valencia, Spain, on Monday. REUTERS
Spain is deploying 7,500 troops to its eastern region affected by devastating floods, the government announced on Monday amid growing discontent over the response to the catastrophe that has claimed at least 217 lives. The army dispatched approximately 5,000 soldiers over the weekend to assist with distributing food and water, cleaning up streets, and protecting shops and properties from looters. An additional 2,500 troops will join them, Defence Minister Margarita Robles informed state-owned radio RNE. A warship carrying 104 marine infantry soldiers along with trucks loaded with food and water was nearing Valencia port as a severe hailstorm battered Barcelona, located about 300 km to the north.
A drone view reveals damage to the entrance of the Circuit Ricardo Tormo after the Valencia Grand Prix was canceled due to heavy rain that caused floods. REUTERS
Rescue teams on Monday were searching for bodies in underground garages, including a 5,000-car park at Bonaire shopping mall near Valencia airport, as well as river mouths where currents might have deposited bodies. The death toll from Spain's worst flash floods in modern history rose to 217 on Sunday—almost all in the Valencia region and more than 60 in the suburb of Paiporta. Local residents' anger was directed at late alerts from authorities about the dangers of flooding and a perceived delayed response by emergency services.
On Sunday, some residents in Paiporta hurled mud at Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and King Felipe along with his wife Queen Letizia, chanting: "murderers, murderers!" Transport Minister Oscar Puente stated on Sunday that the death toll had stabilized because all surface victims had been identified. The torrential rain on Tuesday and Wednesday caused rivers to overflow, inundating streets and the ground floors of buildings, and sweeping away cars and pieces of masonry in waves of mud. It was the worst flood-related disaster in Europe in five decades.
Although rainfall continued throughout the rest of the week, there were no further major floods in the area. The weather agency issued a warning on Monday morning for Barcelona as hailstorms and heavy rain struck Spain's second-largest city. Some of Sunday's protesters wore clothing bearing symbols of far-right organizations that frequently protest against the leftist government. Robles noted that extremist groups were exploiting the situation for political gain.
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