Spain to carry out largest military operation in peacetime after deadly floods

More soldiers and police to be sent to Valencia to help with rescue operations, as the death toll rises to 211

Members of the military work to clear mud and debris in the town of Catarroja on Saturday. AFP

Spain’s government is to send 5,000 soldiers and 5,000 police officers to help with rescue operations and recover bodies from the deadly floods in Valencia, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Saturday.

The death toll has risen to 211 since the floods swept through the eastern province.

Mr Sanchez described the operation as Spain’s largest in peacetime amid Europe’s worst flooding since 1967, as he acknowledged that "this is not enough" to deal with the scope of the disaster.

“It is the biggest operation by the Armed Forces in Spain in peacetime,” Sanchez said. “The government is going to mobilise all the resources necessary as long as they are needed.

"Unfortunately, the scope of this disaster means that this is not enough," Sanchez added. "We know that aid is taking time to reach certain locations. There are still garages and homes that are blocked and people are still trapped."

About 2,000 soldiers are currently involved in the emergency work, plus 2,500 Civil Guard officers and 1,800 national police officers.

Rescuers are searching for bodies in buildings and stranded cars. Volunteers helping in clean-up efforts have been urged to wear protective clothing to avoid diseases and infection.

Thousands have been rescued, but it is not yet known how many people remain missing, as the floods swept away everything in their path. Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences has been turned into the meeting point for volunteers.

The storm triggered a weather alert in the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia, where rains are expected to continue this weekend.

In the Picanya suburb of Valencia, shopowner Emilia, 74, told Reuters on Saturday: “We feel abandoned, there are many people who need help. It is not only my house, is all the houses and we are throwing away furniture, we are throwing away everything.

“When is the help going to come to have fridges and washing machines? Because we can't even wash our clothes and we can't even have a shower.”

Nurse Maria Jose Gilabert, 52, who also lives in Picanya, said: “We are devastated because there is not much light to be seen here at the moment, not because they are not coming to help, they are coming from all over Spain, but because it will be a long time before this becomes a habitable area again.”

Scientists say extreme weather events are becoming more frequent in Europe, and elsewhere, due to climate change. Meteorologists believe the warming of the Mediterranean, which increases water evaporation, plays a crucial role in making torrential rains more severe.