This article was originally published in English
The extensive flooding, which has so far caused 211 deaths, has unleashed a wave of solidarity across the country, with hundreds of people arriving in affected areas to help remove the mud. Pedro Sánchez and Mazón have appeared in separate press conferences.
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Spanish volunteers have begun to leave the areas of Valencia most affected by the floods after participate in cleaning operations of what has been described as the worst natural disaster in decades.
The extensive flooding, which until now have caused at least 211 deathshave unleashed a wave of solidarity throughout the country, with hundreds of people arriving on foot to the affected areas, carrying water, basic necessities, shovels and brooms to help remove the mud.
The number of people who have come to help has been so high that The authorities have asked them not to drive or walkbecause they are blocking the roads that emergency services need.
Some areas of Spain, such as Castellón, Catalonia and the Balearic Islands, are on orange alert and were preparing for new torrential rain over the weekendwhile hundreds of soldiers were deployed to help in the rescue efforts.
On Tuesday, torrential rains and hailstorms caused flooding in several regions, including the province of Valencia, the most affectedand they turned the streets into rivers that devastated the ground floors of the houses and carried away cars and people.
The damage in many communities resembled the aftermath of a major hurricane or tsunami. More than 200 deaths were confirmed in the Valencian Community alone. Two other people were found dead in neighboring Castilla-La Mancha and one in southern Andalusia.
Pedro Sánchez: “If they need more resources, they should ask for them”
The President of the Government appeared at a press conference in the morning to announce the sending of more effective. A total of 10,000 police, civil guards and soldiers will join the relief efforts in the Valencian Community. The leader of the PSOE has explained that the country faces a challenge and he has commented that if the Valencian ‘Govern’ needs help it should ask for it.
For his part, Mazón thanked the volunteers for their collaboration and asked for more collaboration from the Government and for the activation of the European solidarity mechanism. In addition, it has announced measures for workers and the self-employed.
The Valencian president has also announced the creation of “five immediate response groups” to face the DANA crisis: health group, infrastructure, social services and housing, employment and companies and interior.
Thousands of missing
An unknown number of people remain missing and a supposedly official document leaked on x.com, unconfirmed, confirms that there are around 2,000 missing in the area. So the death toll is very likely to increase, as some flood-affected areas remain inaccessible, according to authorities.
Grande-Marlaska, Minister of the Interior, wanted to reassure the population in a radio interview on ‘La Cadena Ser’ on the Hora 25 program since, his explanation is that the figure of more than 1,900 missing would come from calls from 112, so, quoting his words: “1,900 are the calls that 112 receives saying that they cannot find their relatives, but that is mostly due to communication failures.”
There is still hope: Survivors continue to appear, three days later
a woman has been rescued alive inside her car three days after being trapped at the bottom of an underpass in Benetússer, according to Civil Protection.
The Army supports the functions with 2,000 troops on the ground
At least 2,000 soldiers have been deployed to help regional and local emergency workers search for bodies and survivors and to provide aid, Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles told state broadcaster TVE.
According to the minister, tomorrow more troops will join the rescue and aid work, since “there is still there is much to do“.
The figure of members of the Civil Guard and National Police amount to 4,473 in the areas affected by DANA and the services of police stations in Xirivella-Alacuas and Aldaya, Torrente and Alcira-Algemesí have been reinforced. There has also been a gradual deployment in Sedavi, Benetusser, Massanasa, Alfafar and La Torre neighborhood and other services in the Ciutat de la Justicia of Valencia (headquarters of the Institute of Legal Medicine) and the morgue installed at the Trade Fair.
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Carlos Mazónpresident of the Generalitat, will request CECOPI that 5,000 soldiers join to be added to emergency tasks. Adding to the previous 2,000, the Army would reach 7,000 troops.
Current problem: managing support for survivors and road cleaning
While police and emergency teams continue the search for bodiesthe authorities seem overwhelmed by the enormity of the disaster and the survivors trust in the good will of the volunteers who have rushed to fill the void.
This has provoked the anger of many residents of the affected areas, who claim not having received enough support from local authorities or emergency services.
It is the Government of the Valencian Community itself who has decreed circulation limitations to facilitate the work of emergency teams throughout Saturday who will try to clear the roads of vehicles in order to facilitate aid logistics.
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The enormous number of victims, which makes floods the deadliest natural disaster in memory in Spainhas raised questions about how this could have happened in a European Union country that stands out for its public security.
Criticism against the actions of the Government
Some opposition MPs have criticized the central government for the delay in notifying the population of the floods and deploying rescue teams. The Spanish Interior Ministry said in a statement that regional authorities were responsible for civil protection measures.
In interviews with Spanish broadcasters and in social media posts this week, residents of the Valencia region have questioned the lack of preparation of local authorities.
The regional government has been criticized for do not send flood alerts to citizens’ mobile phones until 8:00 p.m.local time on Tuesday, by which time several cities and towns had already been flooded for hours.
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The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) issued on Friday a amber notice due to rain in the regions of Valencia and Castellón, where many municipalities continue to suffer the consequences of the floods. Although The rains are not expected to be as intense Like those on Tuesday, they could pose a new risk of flooding, since the ground is saturated, meteorologists warned.
A town dedicated to helping
Los first buses with volunteers who were waiting in the City of Arts and Sciences of Valencia to leave to help with the cleaning tasks in areas affected by DANA have already begun to leave.
According to official data, more than 10,000 people They were lining up to be able to help at the base of the City of Sciences and Arts from where more than 100 buses will be chartered. The support of both cities like Valencia and the surrounding towns is commendable, where you can see people dressed with shovels, brushes, buckets and liters of water ready to lend a hand to the victims.
He Sunday this initiative will be repeated from the same point in Valencia given the good reception according to the authorities.
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Los health professionals have insisted on the importance of using mascarilasgloves and keep a good hygiene to avoid poisoning due to the accumulation of garbage and bacteria from corpses in the area. According to the local press, some 19 volunteers have been poisoned due to carbon monoxide, two of them serious, in a garage in Chiva while they were carrying out cleaning work.
More than 80 arrested for robberies and looting
National Police agents have been deployed in the commercial areas of the localities affected by DANA to prevent further acts of looting. Additional units from Zaragoza and Barcelona have been mobilized as reinforcement, since fear increases at night due to the lack of lighting.
In Catarroja, groups of neighbors have organized to protect their buildings. To date, more than 85 arrests for robberies, looting and lootingand 12 of those arrested have already been sent to preventive detention.
Current state of roads and suburban areas
The Official Gazette of the Generalitat Valenciana has issued an order that establishes traffic restrictions this weekend. The measure will be in force from 00:00 on Saturday until 23:59 on Sunday, and affects the roads that give access to the municipalities most impacted by dana in the province of Valencia. The objective is to ensure that essential services and intervention teams can move without obstacles.
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The order of the ‘Department’ of Justice and Interior Allows circulation only in the following cases:
- To go to health centers
- To fulfill work, professional or business obligations
- To meet institutional or legal commitments
- To return to your usual or family home
- To care for vulnerable people (elderly, minors, dependents or disabled)
- To carry out urgent procedures in public organizations, courts or notaries
- Due to force majeure or justified necessity
- For any similar activity that can be duly accredited
The restrictions apply specifically to:
- All accesses and exits to municipalities from the V-31 (except the entrance to Valencia city)
- The entrances and exits to municipalities on the V-30, from kilometer 0 (port) to kilometer 9 (connections with the A3), in both directions (except the entrance to Valencia city)
Commuter service on lines C5 and C6 resumes
The Minister of Transport, Oscar Puentehas announced via a publication on x.com the restoration this Saturday of the C5 and C6 commuter lines. “The tracks have been checked meter by meter and inch by inch so that everything goes well.”
The Ministry of Transportation, dependent on the central Government, also requests that avoid traveling by car and warns that there is 80 kilometers of destroyed roadswhile reporting that the C1, C2 and C3 commuter train lines “are very damaged” and they hope to recover the high speed train service that connects Valencia with Madrid in two or three weeks.
