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Spain deploys 500 extra soldiers to Valencia as criticism from local residents mounts

2024-11-02 09:28:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Spain deploys 500 extra soldiers to Valencia as criticism from local residents

Floods in Spain

Around 500 extra soldiers will be deployed in the Valencia region as residents criticize the authorities for their response to the catastrophic floods.

More than 200 people have been confirmed dead, most of them in and around Valencia, but the death toll is expected to rise even further.

Torrential rains, which started on Monday, caused floods, which later destroyed bridges and covered towns with mud.

As a result, residents have been left without water, food and electricity.

Thousands of people have traveled to rural areas to help with cleanup efforts, although on Friday authorities warned that traffic would be restricted throughout the weekend in that area to allow easier access for emergency workers.

There are warnings that there will be more rain throughout the weekend in that region.

About 1,700 soldiers are already working on search and rescue operations in the Valencia region, although hopes are fading that any survivors will be found.

Local authorities are being heavily criticized for their handling of aid and for failing to properly issue flood warnings.

The civil protection agency, supervised by the regional government, started an emergency notification on the phone numbers of the area's residents on Tuesday evening, but by then the water level had risen in some areas and had started to cause damage.

Even the federal government in Madrid has faced criticism for not mobilizing the army sooner and rejecting an offer from the French government to send 200 firefighters.

The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has pledged to do everything possible to help the residents affected by the disaster.

Climate change is believed to be contributing to the intensification of flooding.

In a preliminary report by the World Weather Agency, a group of scientists from around the world analyzing the role of global warming in extreme weather, it is estimated that rainfall is 12 percent heavier than it used to be. first, and such weather is twice as likely to be repeated./REL