Spain flash floods: death count reaches 205
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Madrid: In the recent devastating floods in Spain, the latest reports suggest that the death toll has bypassed the 200 mark. In a disaster that has been identified as the deadliest for a generation, floods tossed vehicles, collapsed bridges, and covered towns with mud since Tuesday, reports Agence France-Presse.
It is the eastern Valencia region, where the disaster hit hard, killing at least 202 people.
Rescue teams are equipped with helicopters, drones and sniffer dogs and are wading through flooded areas, rummaging through debris in search of dozens who are reported missing.
While the government already deployed 1,200 troops to disaster-hit areas, it added another 500 to the effort recently, and 500 more are set to be deployed on Saturday.
On Friday, the Civil Guard of Spain rescued more than 4,500 people, according to Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska. But hopes of finding more survivors, three days into the disaster, is dwindling, AFP reports.
It was learned that volunteer teams from France arrived in Spain on Friday to join the rescue efforts with equipment to clear debris, pump water, and rescue survivors.
After the flood began, certain areas became isolated, with food and water running out and power cuts for days. Many roads and railways still remain inaccessible. Roads were destroyed, and slabs of tarmac littered flooded fields. Abandoned cars were strewn over railway tracks, and engineers were seen working to clear the path.
Meanwhile, thousands of volunteers from Valencia set out on Friday armed with shovels, buckets and shopping trolleys with supplies to support the distressed in the city’s suburbs where floods affected hard.