A delegation featuring Spain’s king and the prime minister faced a barrage of protests during their visit to the Valencia region, which has been devastated by catastrophic floods. Eyewitnesses from AFP reported that some in the crowd yelled accusations like “assassins,” while others resorted to hurling mud at the officials.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia made their way to Paiporta, a town particularly hard-hit, accompanied by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and other dignitaries. The atmosphere was tense, with demonstrators directing their ire primarily at Sanchez and Valencia’s leader, Carlos Mazon. “Mazon should resign!” some voices clamored. “How many lives lost? Get out!”
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As search efforts over five days continue, the hopes of locating additional survivors dwindle following the torrential rains that wreaked havoc on communities and infrastructure—heralded as Spain’s most terrible flooding calamity in decades.
In a statement broadcasted across TV channels, Mr. Sanchez disclosed that the government would deploy an extra 5,000 troops to aid in search-and-rescue and cleanup efforts, adding to the 2,500 military personnel already in action. “This marks the largest mobilization of armed forces in Spain during peacetime,” Sanchez stated. “The government will utilize every available resource for as long as it takes.”
Regional officials from Valencia reported last night that casualties in the area had risen to 211, accompanied by two in Castilla La Mancha and one in Andalusia. Disturbingly, this catastrophe stands as the most severe flood-related tragedy Europe has witnessed since 1967, which claimed at least 500 lives in Portugal.
For a deeper perspective: Before-and-after satellite imagery highlights the devastation across Spain.
Volunteers converged at Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences yesterday for the first orchestrated cleanup effort backed by local authorities, with the venue now serving as a command center for operations.
In Picanya, Valencia’s suburb, Emilia, a 74-year-old shop owner, shared with Reuters, “We feel forsaken, as so many of us are in dire need. It’s not just my home; numerous households are suffering, and we’re discarding furniture, tossing aside everything.”
“When will assistance arrive? When can we expect refrigerators and washing machines? We’re unable to wash clothes or even take a shower,” she lamented.
Nurse María José Gilabert, 52, who also resides in Picanya, expressed, “It’s utterly heartbreaking here. There’s barely a glimmer of hope—not for the lack of help, as aid is streaming in from across Spain, but because it’s evident that it will take ages before this area becomes liveable again.”
The storm system also prompted fresh weather warnings throughout the Balearic Islands, Catalonia, and Valencia, predicting continued rainfall over the weekend.
Experts are sounding alarms about the increasing frequency of severe weather events across Europe and beyond, attributing this trend to climate change. Meteorologists believe that the warming Mediterranean waters, which enhance evaporation rates, significantly exacerbate the intensity of rainfall.
As George Lee aptly noted, “The destruction unfolding in Valencia is a stark reminder that we are entrenched in a perilous climate emergency.”
Edited by: Ali Musa
alimusa@axadletimes.com
Axadle international–Monitoring
