‘Solidarity surges in Spain as anger grows over slow response to floods’

Amid the shock and trauma in Valencia, solidarity is growing.

At a museum building in the city center, crowds of volunteers were lining up to receive supplies – buckets, mops, food and water – before boarding buses to affected areas. was hit hardest by the catastrophic floods that flooded the area earlier this week, killing many people. more than 200 people and many are still missing.

Organizers believe that this morning 15,000 people showed up for the first coordinated clean-up alone, filling the void many feel left by the authorities.

Pedro Francisco, 16 years old, waited in line for his parents for four hours, hoping for help.

He said his friend’s grandfather died in the flood but so far she has not been able to find his body.

“We have to do whatever we can,” Pedro said. “It was terrible to see what happened.”

Also in line was Oscar Martinez with his wife and son.

“I feel angry,” he said. “This was an avoidable tragedy. All the regional government needs to do is give us a flood warning in advance.”

Anger is a recurring theme in Valencia and the surrounding area, where most of the 211 deaths occurred – with the death toll expected to rise further.

Heavy rains that began Monday caused massive flooding in the area, destroying bridges, cutting off communities and leaving them without water, food or electricity.

Thousands of security and emergency services are frantically clearing debris and mud to search for the dead after what the Spanish government called the second deadliest in Europe.

Amparo Esteve spoke to the BBC at the pedestrian bridge over the Turia river in Valencia.

She was preparing to walk to her town of Paiporta because the roads were still closed and she wanted to help her neighbors.

Describing the moment the flash flood hit, she said: “The neighbors told me to run as fast as possible.

“The current is following me, very fast.

“I stayed home for three days, no lights, no water, no phone, nothing.

“I couldn’t call my mother to tell her I was okay. We had no food or water to drink.”

She also expressed anger at the government. “No one helped us.”

Amparo is currently staying with his grandparents because he is too scared to return because of the looters.

The Valencian government said looting was increasing insecurity in the region and warned that the guilty would be brought to justice.

Store owner Emilia, 74, also said she felt abandoned when she thought of the devastation in Picanya, a suburb of Valencia.

“We feel abandoned, there are so many people who need help,” she told Reuters news agency, adding that people are throwing away many, if not all, household items.

“We can’t even wash clothes and can’t even take a shower.”

In a televised statement, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the reinforcement of security forces to support relief work.

Sanchez said he was deploying an additional 5,000 soldiers to assist with search and cleanup in addition to the 2,500 troops already deployed, calling it the largest operation of the armed forces in Spain in peacetime.

The deployment of an additional 5,000 police and civil protection officers will also take place.

The government said 4,800 rescues had been carried out and 30,000 people had been helped.

But alongside their response, authorities have also been criticized for the adequacy of their flood warning system.

“I know that the response is not enough, there are many problems and serious shortages… towns buried by mud, people desperately searching for their loved ones… we have to improve,” Sanchez said.

Additional reporting by Bethany Bell in Valencia