Spain sends more troops to flood zone as anger grows

(CLO) An additional 2,500 soldiers arrived in flood-hit eastern Spain on Monday to step up efforts to search for bodies and clear debris, as officials traded criticism over their handling of the worst flooding in decades.

Public outrage is growing over the disaster, which has left at least 217 people dead and dozens more unaccounted for. Most of the deaths occurred in the Valencia region and more than 60 in the suburb of Paiporta.

Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles told state radio RNE that the army had sent about 5,000 soldiers over the weekend to help distribute food and water, clean streets and guard against looting, and 2,500 more would join them.

An area affected by historic flooding in Valencia, Spain. Photo: Reuters

A warship carrying 104 marines and trucks carrying food and water docked in Valencia even as heavy hail pounded Barcelona some 300km away.

The head of the Valencia region, Carlos Mazon, said his region would give each household 6,000 euros and provide at least 200,000 euros to help each town address urgent spending needs.

In total, Mr Mazon, of the conservative Popular Party, said the region would ask the Spanish central government for an initial aid package worth around 31.4 billion euros, including money to rebuild key infrastructure.

Opposition politicians accused the left-wing central government of acting too slowly in warning people and sending rescue forces.

On Monday, Mr Mazon announced that the Confederation Hydrological Jucar (CHJ), which measures the flow of the country's rivers and ravines, had cancelled planned warnings three times.

However, Spanish authorities said the CHJ did not issue flood risk warnings, which is the responsibility of regional authorities.

Locals have criticised the government's delayed warning of the danger and the slow response of emergency services.

On Sunday, some residents of Paiporta threw mud at Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, King Felipe and his wife, Queen Letizia, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said in an interview on TVE, blaming a small number of extremists for the trouble.

On Monday, airport operator AENA said about 50 flights scheduled to depart from Barcelona's partially flooded El Prat airport were canceled or severely delayed, while 17 flights scheduled to land there were diverted. Some local train services were also canceled.

Rescue teams used drones and water pumps to search and clear underground parking lots and garages. They also searched river mouths where currents may have washed many of the victims' bodies.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/tay-ban-nha-gui-them-quan-den-vung-lu-lut-khi-su-phan-no-va-bat-on-gia-tang-post319977.html