Dozens of people still missing due to flooding in Spain

Reuters on November 6 quoted officials in the Valencia region (Spain) as saying that at least 89 people were still missing after deadly floods, while Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he had directed the spending of 10.6 billion euros in relief funds.

The number of missing people includes those whose relatives reported them missing and provided personal information and DNA samples for identification, according to the Valencia High Court of Justice. The agency believes there may be other missing cases that have not been reported. Many people died after heavy rains since October 29 caused floods that swept through the southern suburbs of Valencia, sweeping away many vehicles, collapsing bridges and inundating many houses and roads. "There are still missing people who need to be found, houses and businesses destroyed, buried under mud, and many people in dire need. We must continue to work," Prime Minister Sanchez said at a press conference in Madrid.

Divers search for flood victims in the Valencia region on November 5.

At least 217 people have died in the regions of Valencia, Castile-La Mancha and Andalusia, but only 133 have been identified. The court said authorities have examined 195 bodies, while 62 are still awaiting identification. Spain's National Guard on November 5 asked relatives of the missing to provide DNA samples to identify the bodies.

A research vessel from Spain’s National Research Council will arrive in Valencia on November 9 to assist in the search. The vessel has the technology to take detailed images of the seabed and search hard-to-reach areas, according to Spain’s Science Ministry. It is thought that some of the missing people may have been swept down rivers and out to sea.

Part of the aid will be to help small businesses and the self-employed affected by the floods. The government will cover all clean-up costs for local authorities and half the cost of infrastructure repairs, Prime Minister Sanchez said. More than 100,000 cars are estimated to have been damaged by the floods, while damage to businesses could be as high as €10 billion.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hang-chuc-nguoi-con-mat-tich-do-lu-lut-o-tay-ban-nha-185241106195957103.htm