Spain deals with aftermath of devastating floods

CGTN Europe

Rescue and recovery operations are continuing in South-Eastern Spain after one of the country’s worst natural disasters.   CGTN’s Ken Browne reports from Madrid.   #Spain #Floods

Transcript

00:00A newborn baby is rescued in the Valencian town of Riola.

00:08The mission continues, but in many cases it isn't rescue, but recovery.

00:14Cars stacked high in urban centers by the force of Spain's worst natural disaster in

00:18living memory.

00:21More chilling still, some of these cars became tombs, with people trapped inside by the torrents.

00:28Recorded images of Valencia before and after the disaster reveal the scale of the devastation.

00:35Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited the area on Thursday morning.

00:40The priority right now is obvious, to find the victims and the missing people so we can

00:49put an end to the anxiety and anguish that families are suffering.

00:56Logically we're going to declare a disaster zone here in Valencia and the other territories

01:00affected by these storms.

01:08Older residents have been particularly affected, many unable to escape their homes in time.

01:14Now many need basic supplies like food and water, and over a hundred thousand people

01:20still do not have electricity.

01:23In the town of Utiel in Valencia, neighbors are trying to help each other pick up the

01:28pieces.

01:31The day before yesterday was very bad, horrible.

01:34We had never experienced this before.

01:36This has come in and destroyed us, the entire town is ruined.

01:42Others still hang on to hope.

01:44It is utter desolation, but with time everything will go back to normal, just like the river.

01:53With some semblance of calm returning to towns like Utiel, questions are being asked over

01:59whether authorities could have done more to save lives.

02:04Valencia's regional government is in the crossfire for not sending out warnings to people's mobile

02:09phones until 8pm on Tuesday, when the fatal flooding had already begun.

02:16Ken Brown, CGTN, Madrid.

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