2024-11-03 14:18:00
01 November 2024
14:31
Update
03 November 2024
15:18
The death toll from floods in Spain has reached 213. With mud on their faces and clothes, King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia had to end their visit to Paiporta, the epicenter of the floods, this Sunday after scenes that bordered on rioting.
Hundreds of residents of a Valencia suburb particularly affected by last week’s deadly floods protested this Sunday during a visit by Spanish King Felipe and Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, some throwing mud at them. To the cries of “Assassins, assassins !”residents expressed their anger at warnings from authorities and a response from emergency services considered late at the time of Tuesday’s storm and resulting flooding in the Valencia region.
“We knew it and no one did anything to prevent it“, declared a young man to the king, who insisted on staying to speak to the population despite the agitation, while the prime minister had withdrawn. At one point during his visit to the disaster-stricken suburb of Paiporta, Felipe took a crying man on his shoulder.
©REUTERS
The central government has said that issuing alerts to the population is the responsibility of regional authorities. The Valencia authorities, for their part, said they had acted to the best of their ability based on the information they had. Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday that any possible negligence would be subject to further investigation.
Five days after this bad weather, which caused the worst natural disaster in the country’s history according to the government, searches continue to find the missingclear the roads and rehabilitate the infrastructure destroyed by the torrents of mud.
©EPA
The visit of the King and Prime Minister took place as the Spanish meteorological agency (Aemet) issued a new orange alert for heavy rains in the Valencia regionparticularly in the Valencian metropolitan area, where 100 liters of water could fall per square meter (i.e. 10 cm).
A red alert has also been issued for the province of Almeria, in Andalusia (south), due to “torrential rain” likely to cause “floods”according to Aemet, which recommends that residents only travel if “strictly necessary”.
New balance sheet
At least 213 people died in floods that devastated southeastern Spain this week. This is what the head of government Pedro Sánchez declared this Saturday during an institutional declaration after a meeting of the crisis committee on flooding. The bad weather that occurred during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday “caused the greatest natural disaster in the recent history of our country“, he stressed.
The previous report, released this morning, reported 213 deaths. With 210 deaths, the Valencia region was hardest hit. Two people also died in the neighboring region of Castile-la-Mancha and one in Andalusia.
“I am aware that the response given is not sufficient, I know that there are serious problems and shortcomings”
10,000 soldiers, police and gendarmes deployed
To deal with this situation, Pedro Sánchez announced this morning the sending “in the coming hours” of 5,000 additional soldiersas requested by the regional government of Valencia. This figure brings the total number of soldiers deployed on the ground to 7,000.
Next to 5,000 additional police and gendarmes will also be sent on the ground in the coming hours, which will double the number of law enforcement officers on site.
“I am aware that the response given is not sufficient, I know that there are serious problems and shortcomings,” the Prime Minister also conceded, while criticism against the lack of responsiveness of the authorities do not fall back.
The regional government of Valencia is notably accused for having sent a telephone alert message to residents very late on Tuesdaywhile the Spanish meteorological agency (Aemet) had placed the Valencia region on “red alert” in the morning.
©REUTERS
Today, the priority remains the search for the missing and the reopening of the roads to allow the “delivery” of aid and the re-establishment of “essential services”, by clearing vehicles and rubble which prevent circulation, assured the Prime Minister.
In total, more than 2,000 damaged cars and trucks were removed, as well as hundreds of tons of mud and debris, according to the head of government, who also promised to restore order in the affected areas. On Friday, around 75,000 homes were still without electricity.
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It appears you have a section of HTML code related to a news article about severe flooding in Spain, including several important points like the impact of the weather, casualty figures, and the response from government authorities. Here’s a summary of the key information from the content:
### Summary of the News Article on Flooding in Spain:
1. **Severe Weather Alerts**:
– The Spanish meteorological agency issued an orange alert for heavy rains in the Valencia region, predicting significant water accumulation.
– A red alert was also declared for Almeria due to potential floods.
2. **Casualties Reported**:
– At least **213 people have died** due to the flooding, described as the greatest natural disaster in recent Spanish history.
- The region of Valencia was the hardest hit, with a majority of the fatalities reported there.
3. **Government Response**:
– Spanish Prime Minister **Pedro Sánchez** acknowledged the inadequacy of the response to the disaster and stated that improvements are needed.
– In response to the crisis, a total of **10,000 military and law enforcement personnel** are being deployed to assist with the situation.
4. **Criticism of Local Authorities**:
– There has been significant criticism of the Valencia regional government’s delayed response to the flooding, particularly regarding their notification to residents despite earlier meteorological warnings.
5. **Quotes from Officials**:
- Sánchez mentioned, “I am aware that the response given is not sufficient, I know that there are serious problems and shortcomings,” addressing the need for better emergency management.
This summary covers the significant points regarding the devastation from the floods, the ongoing emergency responses, and the reevaluation of how the crisis was managed by local authorities.