Over 45,000 volunteers traveled to Valencia's flood-hit areas following the disaster

Valencia, Spain, Nov 7 (EFE) – Between 45,000 and 50,000 volunteers traveled to Valencia to bring food and help clean up in the first days after the devastating floods that hit the Spanish province and other areas of the country, leaving at least 219 people dead and dozens missing.

Spanish Military Emergency Unit members search for the two children who are still missing in Torrente, Valencia, Spain, 07 November 2024. The devastating floods in Valencia and neighboring provinces have caused at least 219 fatalities, as efforts continue to search for missing people, provide supplies, and care for the victims after the DANA (high-altitude isolated depression) weather phenomenon hit the east of the country on 29 October. EFE/Miguel Ángel Polo

The number of volunteers who turned up in the worst-hit communities in Valencia was calculated by Javier Serrano, a lecturer at the Department of Human Geography at the University of Valencia (UV), based on data collected from civic groups, associations set up after the disaster and volunteers coordinated by the Valencian government.

Members of the Special Group of Underwater Activities of the Civil Guard (GEAS) work on tracking tasks in the flood-hit area of La Albufera national park in the province of Valencia, eastern Spain, on 06 November 2024. The devastating floods in Valencia and neighboring provinces have caused at least 216 fatalities, as efforts continue to search for missing people, provide supplies, and care for the victims after the DANA (high-altitude isolated depression) weather phenomenon hit the east of the country on 29 October. EFE/J.J. Guillen

On Thursday, dozens of emergency workers – including Guardia Civil agents, firefighters and members of the Military Emergency Unit – continued to search for the missing in the Albufera Nature Reserve, south of the city of Valencia.

Volunteers organize donated clothes for neighbors and volunteers in Massanassa, Valencia, Spain, 07 November 2024. The devastating floods in Valencia and neighboring provinces have caused at least 219 fatalities, as efforts continue to search for missing people, provide supplies, and care for the victims after the DANA (high-altitude isolated depression) weather phenomenon hit the east of the country on 29 October. EFE/ Ana Escobar

So far, three bodies have been found on the park’s beaches – two in the towns of Sueca and one in Pinedo.

MASSANASSA (VALENCIA), 07/11/2024.- Volunteers help with cleaning works at Massanassa, Valencia, Spain, 07 November 2024. The devastating floods in Valencia and neighboring provinces have caused at least 219 fatalities, as efforts continue to search for missing people, provide supplies, and care for the victims after the DANA (high-altitude isolated depression) weather phenomenon hit the east of the country on 29 October. EFE/ Kai Försterling

The body of a 5-year-old boy was also found in Loriguilla.

“It’s meticulous work, but we have to do it in a very rigorous way and with all the protocols,” Captain Sergio Hernandez, in charge of the underwater search, told EFE.

Hernandez said that the flood had washed away “a lot of debris and wood” and that they were “combining all the resources for real effectiveness,” including the use of boats, divers and drones.

“The main hypothesis is that everything has gone into the sea,” Hernández added, while stressing “how difficult it is to work in a week of stagnant water due to the lack of visibility.”

The search also continued on nearby beaches such as Pinedo, Arbre de Gos, El Saler, Garrofera, Perellonet and Devesa, where boats and helicopters were combing the search areas.

The Spanish government announced on Monday an initial aid package of €10.6 billion ($11.4 billion) for the almost 80 municipalities affected by the devastating floods in Valencia, Castile-La Mancha, and Andalusia.

The Spanish Official State Gazette published on Thursday the declaration of Valencia and other affected areas as a disaster zone, following the decision of the country’s Council of Ministers earlier this week.

The aid package is aimed at alleviating personal and material damage to homes and household goods, local businesses, and industrial, commercial, and service establishments.

The provisional death toll from the flash floods stood at 219 on Thursday, while authorities reported 93 missing, with 53 bodies still unidentified.

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