Spanish police seek DNA samples for missing, as PM Sanchez offers rescue package to flood victims
Repeats to fix formatting with no changes to text
Spain's PM earmarks $11.6 bln for flood victims
Police seek DNA samples to identify bodies
Many still missing, homes buried under mud, Pedro Sanchez says
Government has deployed nearly 15,000 police and military
MADRID, Nov 5 (Reuters) -Spain's national guard on Tuesday asked relativesof people missing in deadly floods to provide DNA samples to identify bodies, as Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was earmarking 10.6 billion euros ($11.6 billion) to help victims.
More than 200 people died after heavy rains last week caused waterways tooverflow, creating flash floods that surged through suburbs south of the city of Valencia, sweeping away cars and bridges and flooding properties andunderground car parks.
"There are still missing persons to be located, homes and businesses destroyed, buried under the mud and many people suffering severe shortages," Sanchez said in a press conference in Madrid. "We have to keep working."
The government has declined to say how many people are missing almost a week on from the disaster. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska saidonly that it was a"significant number" and that in the absence of clear information, it was "best not to specify".
At least 217 people died in Valencia, Castile La Mancha and Andalusia, but only 111 have been identified so far.
The aid will include 838 million euros indirect cash handouts to small businesses and freelance workers affected by the disaster and 5 billion euros of state-guaranteed loans, while the national government will finance 100% of the clean-up costs incurred by local governments and half of the repair to infrastructure, Sanchez said.
More than 100,000 cars were damaged by the floods, Sonia Luque, coordinator of the Network of Road Assistance Companies (REAC), said.
'IT'S A TSUNAMI'
Hector, a police inspector speaking in Paiporta, one of the worst-hit neighbourhoods, saidhe had experienced plenty of flooding in nearby Alicante but nothing like this.
"This isn't a flash flood - it's a tsunami," Hector, who declined to give his last name, said.
In the face of criticism and anger at the slow response to the disaster, Sanchez said the government had deployed nearly 15,000 police and military to help clear flood-affectedareas, along with hundreds of forestry officials, forensic scientists,customs agents and heavy machinery to clear roads and rubble.
Defending the government's response, Sanchez said he had not called a state of emergency, which would have given Madrid control of the crisis, because it would have been less efficient.
Hesaid personnel had been ready to be deployed from the first minute buthad required the approval of the regional government run by the conservative People's Party.
Valencia's regional leader Carlos Mazon said on Monday the delay in warning people was caused by the Hydrographic Confederation of Jucar (CHJ), which measures the flow of rivers and ravines for the state, cancelling a planned alert three times.
The CHJ fired back that it doesnot issue flood risk alerts, which are the responsibility of Spain's regional governments.
($1 = 0.9175 euros)
Reporting by Charlie Devereux and David Latona, editing by Inti Landauro, Aislinn Laing and Sharon Singleton
Dernières actualités
Avertissement : Les entités de XM Group proposent à notre plateforme de trading en ligne un service d'exécution uniquement, autorisant une personne à consulter et/ou à utiliser le contenu disponible sur ou via le site internet, qui n'a pas pour but de modifier ou d'élargir cette situation. De tels accès et utilisation sont toujours soumis aux : (i) Conditions générales ; (ii) Avertissements sur les risques et (iii) Avertissement complet. Un tel contenu n'est par conséquent fourni que pour information générale. En particulier, sachez que les contenus de notre plateforme de trading en ligne ne sont ni une sollicitation ni une offre de participation à toute transaction sur les marchés financiers. Le trading sur les marchés financiers implique un niveau significatif de risques pour votre capital.
Tout le matériel publié dans notre Centre de trading en ligne est destiné à des fins de formation / d'information uniquement et ne contient pas – et ne doit pas être considéré comme contenant – des conseils et recommandations en matière de finance, de fiscalité des investissements ou de trading, ou un enregistrement de nos prix de trading ou une offre, une sollicitation, une transaction à propos de tout instrument financier ou bien des promotions financières non sollicitées à votre égard.
Tout contenu tiers, de même que le contenu préparé par XM, tels que les opinions, actualités, études, analyses, prix, autres informations ou liens vers des sites tiers contenus sur ce site internet sont fournis "tels quels", comme commentaires généraux sur le marché et ne constituent pas des conseils en investissement. Dans la mesure où tout contenu est considéré comme de la recherche en investissement, vous devez noter et accepter que le contenu n'a pas été conçu ni préparé conformément aux exigences légales visant à promouvoir l'indépendance de la recherche en investissement et, en tant que tel, il serait considéré comme une communication marketing selon les lois et réglementations applicables. Veuillez vous assurer que vous avez lu et compris notre Avis sur la recherche en investissement non indépendante et notre avertissement sur les risques concernant les informations susdites, qui peuvent consultés ici.
