L’Eliana, Valencia, Spain, Oct 31 (EFE).- Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sánchez on Thursday said the government would work “by land, sea and air” for as long as necessary with regional authorities in Valencia.
The eastern region, as well as parts of central and southern Spain, have been hit by the worst floods the country has seen in decades, killing at least 95 people. Dozens were still missing on Thursday.
Sánchez, whose Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) leads a left-wing coalition, said his government would provide “absolute cooperation” and every available resource to the Valencian government, which is controlled by the conservative People’s Party (PP).
“In circumstances such as those that the Valencian Community is going through, it is necessary to value the public sector. We will work day and night to find the missing and the bodies of the deceased, to help restore normality as soon as possible,” the prime minister said.
Sánchez made the remarks alongside the Valencia regional president Carlos Mazón after visiting an operations center in Eliana, a suburb of Valencia, where emergency efforts are being coordinated.
At the operations center, the prime minister also observed a moment’s silence for the victims of the floods, which have devastated large parts of the region, as well as parts of southern and central Spain.
The floods were caused by torrential rains that began on Tuesday. The downpours were triggered by a so-called ‘gota fria’ (Spanish for ‘cold drop’), a weather phenomenon that occurs in the autumn where cold air moves over the warm waters of the Mediterranean.
Sánchez warned that the storm was not over, and urged residents of Valencia and Castellon to stay at home and heed the warnings made by the emergency services.
“The most important thing is to save lives in this dramatic crisis,” the prime minister said.
He also highlighted that since the Valencia community reached level two of the emergency, the government had “mobilized huge amounts of resources and troops: more than 1,800 police officers, 750 civil guards, 200 soldiers, as well as helicopters and aircraft, and any other resource that is necessary.”
“We will be here, and we will not abandon Valencia,” Sánchez promised. “All the state’s economic resources” will be made available for the recovery effort, he added.
Mazón, for his part, thanked Sánchez for “coming so soon” and for the government’s help in responding to the crisis.
“These are moments of great pain, but also of great dedication. Thanks also to all the autonomous regions, to the municipal resources that are contributing their best, to the mayors, to the provincial council”, he added.
Sánchez also said he had spoken to European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen about the situation.
“All of the EU member states have been involved, offering resources to respond as effectively as possible to this tragedy, and we are grateful for this solidarity,” he said. EFE
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