Death toll after flash flood created destruction Spain Reached 211 as announced by the Prime Minister 5,000 additional soldiers were deployed to assist in the rescue operation.

An unknown number of people remain missing after the incident The country suffered the deadliest natural disaster in living memory, It was seen that heavy rains dragged houses and cars in the eastern and central regions.

Rescuers were still searching for bodies in trapped vehicles and soaked buildings on Saturday, four days after the incident. The storm that devastated the country.

Speaking after chairing the flood crisis committee meeting, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced that 5,000 more police officers would be sent. Valenciaworst affected area.

“This is the largest operation carried out by the Armed Forces in Spain in peacetime,” Mr Sanchez said. “The government will mobilize all necessary resources as long as they are needed.”

Currently, there are around 2,500 Civil Guard gendarmes and 1,800 national police officers who carried out 4,500 rescue operations during the flood, in addition to around 2,000 soldiers in emergency work.

There are thousands of volunteers Helping clear the thick mud that covers everything on the streetsHomes and businesses in the hardest-hit towns.

“There are still dozens of people searching for loved ones and hundreds of households mourning the loss of a relative, friend or neighbor,” Mr. Sanchez said in a televised address Saturday morning.

“I want to express our deepest love to them and reassure them that the Spanish government and the entire state, at its different administrative levels, are all with them.”

He emphasized that the rescue operation prioritized the recovery of the dead and said that expert forensic personnel and mobile morgues were already in the disaster area and would work “day and night”; day and night, no matter how long it takes.”

Hopes of finding survivors have risen further after rescuers found a woman trapped in a car park in Montcada, Valencia, alive for three days, and residents applauded.

Thousands of volunteers flocked to the center of the Valencian City of Arts and Sciences for the first coordinated cleanup organized by regional authorities. The area where the operation will be performed has become a nerve center.

Emilia, a 74-year-old shop owner from the Picanya suburb of Valencia, said: “We feel abandoned, there are so many people who need help. It’s not just my house, it’s all houses, and we’re throwing away the furniture, we’re throwing away everything.

“When will help come for refrigerators and washing machines? Because we can’t even wash our clothes or take a shower.”

Maria Jose Gilabert, a 52-year-old nurse who lives in Picanya, said: “We are devastated because there is not much light to see here at the moment, not because they haven’t come to help, they come from all over Spain, but because it will take a long time for this place to become a livable area again.” ”

During his speech, Mr Sanchez acknowledged growing public anger over the authorities’ handling of the flood problem, saying: “I know we have to do better and do what we can.”

Many people questioned why the Valencian government did not send an emergency alert by 20:00 on Tuesday; The prime minister then emphasized that there would be time to assess what went wrong and whether lessons could be learned.

The storm triggered a new weather warning for the Balearic Islands, Catalonia and Valencia, where rain is expected to continue over the weekend.

Scientists say extreme weather events are becoming more frequent in Europe and elsewhere due to climate change. Meteorologists think that the warming of the Mediterranean Sea, which increases water evaporation, plays an important role in making showers more intense.