On November 2 local time, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez said that at least 214 people had died and dozens were missing in Spain due to the floods triggered by rainstorm.
According to reports, Sanchez stated in a television statement that in addition to the 2500 soldiers already deployed, the Spanish government will deploy an additional 5000 army soldiers to assist in the search and clearance work.
Sanchez said, “This is the largest operation of the Spanish armed forces during peacetime
According to previous reports, the Spanish government has designated October 31st to November 2nd as the national mourning period. During this time, the government building lowered the flag to half mast and held a moment of silence.
Starting from October 29th, the southeastern part of Spain experienced heavy rainfall and triggered floods. The Associated Press reported that the Mediterranean coast of Spain usually experiences autumn storms, which can cause floods, but this is the most severe flood outbreak in recent years. Scientists believe that this flood is related to climate change. Spain has experienced nearly two years of drought, which means the soil has become hard and unable to quickly absorb large amounts of precipitation, leading to floods.