More troops reinforce rescue efforts in flood-hit Spain as public anger mounts

A woman cleans thick mud, in the aftermath of floods caused by heavy rains, in Sedavi, near Valencia, Spain, November 3, 2024. REUTERS/Susana Vera/File Photo

PAIPORTA, Spain (Reuters) -Another 2,500 soldiers arrived in the flood-hit east of Spain on Monday to reinforce efforts to locate bodies and clear debris, as government officials traded blame over how the worst flooding in decades has been handled and as first aid packages were being readied.

Public anger is mounting over the disaster that has killed at least 217 people with dozens of others still unaccounted for. Almost all of the deaths occurred in the Valencia region and more than 60 in the suburb of Paiporta.