Since this morning, hundreds of volunteers have been flocking to help. The images from our Spanish colleagues show bridges packed with people, volunteers armed with brushes and bags, heading towards the disaster areas.
At least 205 people have died in the dramatic floods which have devastated several regions of Spain since Tuesday evening, sowing chaos in numerous villages cut off from the rest of the country, which emergency services are trying to access on Wednesday.
The authorities made no secret of the fact that the worst was to be expected, citing “dozens and dozens” of missing people. According to the mayor of Chiva, interviewed by our colleagues from Le Monde, one of the most affected localities, the piled-up cars have not yet all been inspected.
500 additional soldiers were deployed to participate in the search.
In shock, the victims tried to clean the streets, covered in viscous mud, in an end-of-the-world setting. “There is no longer a business standing“, declared David Romero, a 27-year-old musician, to an AFP journalist. Anger is also brewing: late alert, intense urbanization, concrete construction, etc., all elements which have probably contributed to this heavy toll.
This morning, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez goes to Civil Protection and the Meteorological Agency; he will also chair a crisis meeting. The red alert is maintained for part of Andalusia.
The FPS Foreign Affairs recommends that Belgian travelers avoid non-essential travel in the most affected areas.
Belgium
