Spain mounts biggest peacetime disaster recovery operation as death toll reaches 211

The Star

The Spanish government has launched the Armed Forces' largest peacetime operation in Valencia, four days after torrential rains devastated the eastern region.  Read more at https://tinyurl.com/4a3mn7xn  WATCH MORE: https://thestartv.com/c/news SUBSCRIBE: https://cutt.ly/TheStar LIKE: https://fb.com/TheStarOnline

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00:00The deadliest flash floods in Spain's modern history have claimed at least 211 lives, with

00:08dozens still missing, four days after torrential rains hit the Valencia region.

00:14Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Saturday that an additional 5,000 troops will be deployed

00:20to assist in search and clean-up efforts, joining the 2,500 soldiers already on the

00:26ground.

00:27We know that the aid is taking a long time to reach many points, that there are still

00:32houses and garages blocked, municipalities denied and many people disabled.

00:38That is why I celebrate that President Mazón has decided to raise his request for military

00:46troops from 500 to 5,000, and I announce to you, as I have conveyed to him in the call

00:50I made before appearing before the media, I announce to you that the Government of Spain

00:56will proceed immediately to this request.

00:59Sánchez called it the armed forces' largest peacetime operation in Spain, pledging that

01:04the government would mobilize all necessary resources as long as needed.

01:09The tragedy is already Europe's worst flood-related disaster since 1967, when at least 500 people

01:16died in Portugal.

01:18In the meantime, volunteers gathered at Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences Centre, which has

01:23become the coordination hub for the first official clean-up, led by regional authorities.

01:29In Valencia's Picanha suburb, residents and volunteers urged for greater support from

01:34the military and government to address the destruction.

01:37We feel it, but we are abandoned, because there are many people who need help, in my

01:43house, there are all the houses, and we are throwing furniture, we are throwing everything.

01:48When will the help come to have fridges and washers, we can't even wash our clothes,

01:53we can't shower, where are you?

01:56This is a disaster, man.

01:59Desolate, like all Valencians, sunk, because here you don't see much light at the moment,

02:06not because they are not coming to help, they are already coming from all over Spain, but

02:10because until this becomes a habitable area again, there is a long time to go.

02:15The storm triggered a new weather alert in the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia,

02:21where rains are expected to continue during the weekend.

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