In an instant they lost everything. Residents of Valencia have recently experienced the same drama that hit southwestern Poland in September. The water flooded the entire region, destroying everything in its path. Residents were completely unaware of the looming threat. By Saturday morning, at least 205 people had been confirmed dead, but unofficial reports put the death toll at up to 0,300.
Floods in Valencia. The government sent additional troops to help
Many services and volunteers are on the scene searching for missing people. Initially, Spanish authorities sent more than 1,000 soldiers from the Spanish Emergency Response Force to Valencia to support the efforts of local emergency services. Meanwhile, on Friday, Defense Minister Margarita Robles said she would send 500 more military personnel and additional troops as needed.
See also: Spain's tragic floods. 28-year-old soccer player dies
– Their mission is to help look for people who may be in the basement or lower floors, but unfortunately there are a lot of them. It will also help pump water to enable transportation, allowing food and water to reach affected people, the politician said.
In Paiporta, one of Valencia's municipalities, the problem is not only destruction but also the fact that services are not reaching help. Cars on the road were swept away by the heavy water, causing a huge traffic jam on the small street. Embankments several meters high and long were built in some places. Many areas can only be reached on foot.
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Valencia residents were not warned. The whole city was submerged in water
The rising death toll and lack of aid in some areas of the city has sparked anger among Spaniards. Residents have accused authorities of being unprepared and too slow to warn residents of the dangers associated with the storm. Some residents say they received warning text messages from: Tuesday the 20th. By then, heavy rain had been falling for several hours. Some people claim they were alerted when the water was up to their necks.
“They didn't say anything,” one resident of the area said in an interview with a Polsat News reporter.
Polsat News Objects washed away by water caused traffic jams in the city
But that's not all. Local authorities have also accused the government of not getting the right message. It is true that there was information about heavy rain just before the flood, but it was inaccurate because it did not specify which area it was referring to. On the contrary, the headquarters blames the local government and insists that the mayor should warn residents.
See also: Spain's tragic floods. death toll announced
Many areas received no rain at all, but were flooded with water from the country's highlands. Approximately 75,000 homes do not have electricity. Fire brigades set up generators for rescue efforts and supply gasoline from abandoned vehicles.
Residents frankly say the cleanup will take months, even years, to return the city to its pre-flood condition.
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