Spanish Authorities Request DNA Samples for Missing Individuals as Prime Minister Unveils €10.6 Billion Flood Relief Plan
The national guard of Spain has requested family members of individuals missing due to the devastating floods to submit DNA samples for identification purposes, while Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a dedication of €10.6 billion to aid the victims.
Last week, over 200 people lost their lives as heavy rainfall led to overflowing waterways, resulting in flash floods that swept through neighborhoods south of Valencia, obliterating cars and bridges and inundating homes and underground parking areas.
“There are still individuals unaccounted for, homes and businesses have been destroyed, buried beneath the mud, and many are facing severe shortages,” Mr. Sanchez explained during a press conference in Madrid. “We must continue our efforts.”
The government has refrained from disclosing the number of individuals still missing nearly a week after the calamity.
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Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska merely stated that it was a “significant number” and added that it was “better not to specify” in the absence of precise information.
A minimum of 217 individuals have died across Valencia, Castile-La Mancha, and Andalusia; however, only 111 have been officially identified thus far.
The assistance provided will encompass €838 million in direct financial aid to small businesses and freelance workers impacted by the disaster, as well as €5 billion in state-guaranteed loans. The national government will cover 100% of the cleanup expenses incurred by local authorities and 50% of infrastructure repair costs, according to Mr. Sanchez.
Volunteers are clearing mud in the Masanasa municipality, located in Valencia.
Sonia Luque, coordinator of the Network of Road Assistance Companies (REAC), reported that over 100,000 vehicles were damaged by the floods.
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‘It’s a tsunami’
Hector, a police inspector in Paiporta—one of the areas most severely affected—discussed his experiences with flooding in nearby Alicante, but stated, “Nothing compares to this.”
“This isn’t just a flash flood; it’s a tsunami,” Hector, who preferred to keep his last name confidential, remarked.
Facing criticism and frustration regarding the sluggish response to the disaster, Mr. Sanchez announced that the government had sent nearly 15,000 police and military personnel to assist in clearing the flooded regions, in addition to hundreds of forestry officials, forensic scientists, customs officers, and heavy machinery to remove debris from roads.
Spanish civil guards are conducting searches for potential flood victims in Albufera national park.
Mr. Sanchez defended the government’s actions, explaining that he did not declare a state of emergency—an action that would have granted Madrid control over the crisis—because it would have been less effective.
He noted that personnel had been prepared to be dispatched immediately but needed the regional government’s approval, which is led by the conservative People’s Party.
Donations are being collected at a sports center in the Sedavi municipality, Valencia.
Yesterday, Carlos Mazon, the regional leader of Valencia, stated that the delay in alerting citizens was due to the Hydrographic Confederation of Jucar (CHJ), which is responsible for monitoring river and ravine flow for the state, canceling a planned alert on three occasions.
In response, the CHJ clarified that it does not issue flood risk alerts, a responsibility that falls to Spain’s regional governments.
