Spain deploys 10,000 soldiers and police in stepped-up floods rescue effort

Prime minister admits response so far is not enough amid criticism of ‘too slow’ regional authorities

Spain’s government has ordered the deployment of 10,000 soldiers and police officers to the Valencia flash flood disaster zone amid a row over control of the rescue effort.
Pedro Sánchez, the Socialist prime minister, called it the biggest peacetime deployment of military personnel in Spain’s history after admitting the response so far was “not enough”.
By Sunday, a total of 7,500 troops and more than 9,000 officers will be aiding in the efforts to locate bodies and survivors, as well as restoring order to destroyed towns and villages, some of which have been cut off from food, water and power for days.
Spain’s government has been frustrated by what it believes is the slow response to the disaster by Carlos Mazón, Valencia’s regional president from the conservative People’s Party (PP).
Despite the extent of the destruction and the loss of more than 200 lives in the region, Mr Mazón’s regional administration has kept its official emergency level at two on a scale of three.
If emergency level three was triggered, control over the relief and rescue effort would automatically fall to the Spanish government in Madrid.
Sources from Mr Sánchez’s government told The Telegraph that there was frustration at having to wait for Mr Mazón to request each increment in resources deployed.
“But we don’t expect a leader from the PP to hand control over to our administration,” a central government source said.
In a televised address on Saturday morning, Mr Sánchez said he was “aware” the response is not enough. “There are problems and severe shortages… towns buried by mud, desperate people searching for their relatives,” he said.
He then thanked Mr Mazón for asking for the boost in troop deployment before adding that there would be “time to review negligence [and] determine who was responsible” for any errors in the management of the crisis.
“Now is the time to forget our differences, to put ideological and regional sensibilities to one side and unite in our response,” Mr Sánchez added.
Mr Mazón’s regional government has been criticised for the late issue of an emergency flood alert, which finally came after 8pm on Tuesday, when fast-moving flood waters had already swept through settlements.
Amongst residents, the anger has been palpable, and trade unions called on Mr Mazón to resign on Friday as Valencia opened a temporary morgue to deal with the dead.
Valencia’s government has included officials from the national interior and territorial affairs ministries in its rescue coordination committee – but Mr Mazón retains ultimate control over what resources are requested and how they are managed.
“The central government is ready to help. Let them ask for more resources and they will be delivered,” Mr Sánchez said.
The prime minister also said that his government would create a fund to finance the reconstruction of the disaster zones in Valencia and other areas affected by heavy rain and flooding in Castilla-La Mancha and other regions.
Spain has approached the European Commission to seek financial assistance with the reconstruction effort, Mr Sánchez said.
Several European countries have offered to help Spain with the emergency, but Mr Sánchez’s government has so far refused all external help.
France’s interior ministry offered to send 250 firefighters to help in the search for survivors and the Portuguese government said it would send “whatever is needed” in the rescue and clean-up effort.