A flooded underground car park has sparked fears of a ‘mass grave’ as the fatal storm continues to devastate the Valencia region.
Spain’s prime minister has ordered the country’s largest peacetime military deployment, announcing that another 5,000 troops will be rushed in to deal with this week’s devastating aftermaths.
The death toll has risen to 211 with 2,000 people still missing across Spain; this figure is expected to rise in the upcoming days.
A further 5,000 police officers will also be deployed to flood-hit areas, as well as a Spanish navy ship to accommodate helicopters.
In a televised address on Saturday, Sanchez said the disaster was the second-deadliest flood in Europe this century.
Addressing the nation, the PM said: “We are talking about the largest deployment of state security forces and bodies of the armed forces that has ever been made in our country in times of peace.”
He continued: “There are still dozens of people looking for their loved ones and hundreds of households mourning the loss of a relative, a friend or a neighbour.
“I want to express our deepest love to them and assure them that the government of Spain and the entire state, at all its different administrative levels, is with all of them.”
Around 1,700 soldiers are already working on search and rescue operations in the Valencia region, although hope of finding more survivors is dwindling.
“Our second priority is identifying and recovering the bodies of the dead and we need to do it quickly but with all the dignity and guarantees that the victims and their families deserve,” he said. “Over the past 48 hours, military and security personnel have inspected thousands of garages, riverbeds and roads, and recovered the bodies of 211 mortal victims.”
The flood water has left a trail of utter devastation in their wake, with cars piled on top of one another, trees uprooted, and power lines downed.
And now the devastating floods have reached Majorca with residents and tourists being urged to stay indoors.
More than 100 litres of water per square metre drenched the holiday hotspot last night.
Palma’s major seafront was cordoned off with red tape, and the streets were almost deserted yesterday.
Public parks, gardens, and cemeteries are all closed until Monday, and homeless people have been moved from flood areas.
