Spanish authorities issued their first tally of the missing on Tuesday when a Valencia court said that 89 people are confirmed to be unaccounted for.
A week has gone by since tsunami-like floods swept over the east of Spain, and the search for the remaining missing people grows increasingly desperate, with at least 89 confirmed to be still missing.
The death toll stands at 217 after the catastrophic flash floods, with at least 211 bodies recovered in the province of Valencia. The death toll is expected to rise.
The government came under fire for its management and lack of preparedness leading up to the crisis.
A warning text was only sent out at 8 pm local time on Tuesday — for many it came too late as they were already trapped in their homes, at work, or in their cars on the streets when the deadly flooding hit.
A Valencian resident said that his brother, sister-in-law, and niece had no time to do anything when the water arrived.
Another resident María Murgui said she hadn’t seen her father since he went out to salvage his motorbike when the water level began to rise. “He was like many people in town who went out to get their car or motorbike to safety,” Murgui said.
Volunteers desperate to help
Feeling let down by authorities and desperate to help, thousands of volunteers flooded the streets to assist the search and rescue teams that had arrived from Madrid and other parts of Spain. Their priority is towing vehicles and clearing away mud and debris to allow residents access to their homes, shops, and workplaces.
Two young volunteers from Valencia said, “You knock on a door, ask if they need help, and they say yes. Everyone needs a lot of assistance.”
“There just isn’t enough help,” they added.
Nearly 17,000 troops are on the ground in Valencia, including military units, the Civil Guard, and National Police.
Military trucks, heavy machinery, helicopters, and a navy transport vessel are all actively involved in the search for victims, as well as the distribution of aid and the cleanup efforts.
Armed with brooms, buckets, and shovels, volunteers are also advised to wear gloves and facemasks to protect themselves from the mud.
Jesus Martinez, a 23-year-old volunteer said he believes the mud is toxic due to the chemicals mixed in with it. “You can smell it as you walk by, whether you wear a facemask or not smells of oil, paint and other things.”
With the assistance of drones, Spanish troops continue their search in underground parking garages, where they started pumping out water from since the weekend. Divers also joined to help find potential missing bodies in inundated car parks, which have been difficult to drain in time as some of them were covered in metres of water.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced on Tuesday that a relief package of €10.6 billion has been approved to help victims of the flash floods. The package includes direct payments ranging from €20,000 to €60,000 to the owners of the damaged homes.
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