Yahoo TV

STORY: :: After deadly floods, Spanish troops help clear streets covered in mud and debris

:: November 3, 2024

:: Massanassa, Spain

Military personnel were seen, alongside local volunteers, shovelling debris and mud from the streets as residents complained about the delay in help arriving.

In a televised statement on Saturday, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the government was sending 5,000 more army troops to help with the searches and clean-up in addition to 2,500 soldiers already deployed.

Residents are furious at the authorities, accusing them of sending late warnings about the dangers of the storm and floods. They also say emergency services responded slowly after disaster struck.

The central government has said issuing alerts to the population was the responsibility of regional authorities.

Valencia's officials have said they acted as best as they could with the information available to them.

The death toll from the country's worst flash floods in modern history edged higher to 217 on Sunday - almost all in the Valencia region and over 60 of them in Paiporta alone.

Dozens were still unaccounted for, four days after torrential rains swept the eastern region of Valencia.