Space Industry and Business News
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Spain unveils $11 bn aid plan after catastrophic floods
Spain unveils $11 bn aid plan after catastrophic floods
By Alfons LUNA
Valencia, Spain (AFP) Nov 5, 2024

Spain announced Tuesday an aid package worth 10.6 billion euros ($11.5 billion) to rebuild regions devastated by its worst floods in a generation that have killed 219 people.

The exceptional Mediterranean storm that lashed eastern Spain a week ago triggered surging torrents of muddy water that have left a trail of destruction.

Regional judicial authorities in Valencia said late Tuesday that they had listed 89 people as missing based on analysis by police and forensic investigators.

Their estimate was the first time a provisional figure had been put on an unknown number of people yet to be accounted for following the deluge.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a series of measures including aid to small and midsize businesses, self-employed workers and households that have suffered deaths, incapacity and damage to homes and belongings.

Tax relief and a three-month postponement to repaying mortgages and loans were also among the announcements, which Sanchez likened to the state's intervention during the Covid-19 pandemic to protect the economy and livelihoods.

The government will take on all emergency spending by local councils linked to clearing mud, debris and ruined property and restoring drinking water, Sanchez told a news conference.

Spain has also requested aid from the EU solidarity fund, he added.

Security forces and emergency services personnel are working around the clock to repair damaged infrastructure, distribute aid and search for bodies in Spain's largest peacetime deployment of its armed forces.

Sanchez said almost 15,000 troops, police officers and civil guards were in the eastern Valencia region that has suffered most of the deaths and destruction, up from 7,300 on Saturday.

Firefighters combed through piles of damaged vehicles and pumped water from inundated garages and car parks where more victims may be discovered, AFP journalists saw.

Maribel Albalat, mayor of the ground-zero town of Paiporta, told public broadcaster TVE they were doing "better, but not well" with many streets still inaccessible and residents struggling to get a phone signal.

Rescuers in the southeastern town of Letur have found one of the missing bodies they were looking for, announced the central government's representative in the Castilla-La Mancha region, Pedro Antonio Ruiz.

Two Chinese citizens, two Romanians and an Ecuadorian are among the dead, authorities in those countries have said. The floods also claimed three British victims, UK media have reported.

- 'Dereliction of duty' -

Many survivors are furious with the authorities for failing to warn the population on time last Tuesday and provide urgent rescue and relief work.

That anger reached a breaking point in Paiporta on Sunday when crowds heckled and hurled mud at King Felipe VI, Queen Letizia and Sanchez.

The outrage was also palpable in Valencia -- Spain's third-largest city that was unharmed despite being a stone's throw from the hardest-hit zones -- when AFP visited on Tuesday.

Local humourist Jose Antonio Lopez-Guitian, 61, had just returned from the town of Massanassa with his boots covered in mud and said residents were left to fend for themselves.

The situation was "a national disgrace" and "a dereliction of duty by all the institutions", he said.

The floods affected more than 4,100 hectares (10,100 acres), the civil protection service said on X, using a map provided by the European Union's Copernicus satellite.

Storms coming off the Mediterranean are common during this season. But scientists have warned that human-induced climate change is increasing the ferocity, length and frequency of extreme weather events.

"Climate change kills... we have to adapt to this reality," Sanchez said at his news conference, lashing out at the "irresponsible discourse of deniers".

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
A world of storm and tempest
When the Earth Quakes

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Smart-Connect advances space tech for disaster response solutions
Paris, France (SPX) Nov 03, 2024
During disaster situations, effective communication becomes essential, but often ground networks are compromised. This issue leaves both the general public and emergency responders with limited access to critical information. Bandwidth shortages can significantly delay emergency operations, leading to loss of life. Recent calamities such as severe floods and wildfires highlight the growing necessity for advanced technologies that enhance disaster response. To address this, the European Space Agenc ... read more

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
New laser technology speeds up landmine detection process

New 3D printed metal alloy enhances durability for space exploration

Laser measurements aid in tracking space debris and mapping Earth's water resources

To tackle plastic scourge, Philippines makes companies pay

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Gilat secures $5M in US Defense SATCOM orders

Gilat secures $4M contract with DoD

SDA Selects AST SpaceMobile and Muon Space for HALO Program to Enhance Proliferated LEO Capabilities

Eutelsat Group launches 20 OneWeb satellites to expand LEO Network

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Aerodata earns EASA certification for GPS anti-jamming and anti-spoofing tech

Axient secures contract for Resilient GPS Constellation under USSF Initiative

BAE Systems showcases advanced M-Code Increment 2 GNSS technology

GMV spearheads digital overhaul of Spain's national security system

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Iraq lodges UN complaint over Israel using its airspace to attack Iran

German flying taxi startup to file for bankruptcy

Hydrogen aviation has to be done properly or not at all

US approves $7.3 bn sale of F-16 upgrades for Poland

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Nvidia surpasses Apple as world's biggest company

NRL Develops Innovative Method for Quantum Emitter Control

Nvidia asks S Korea SK hynix to pull forward chip deliveries

New magnetism insights aim to advance quantum computing and superconductors

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
UChicago scientist crafts new model to enhance forecasting of atmospheric rivers

Hera's HyperScout Captures Spectral View of Earth from Deep Space

The other greenhouse gases warming the planet

CATALYST leads EO industry with CEOS-compliant SAR and Optical Imagery

DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Smog sickness: India's capital struggles as pollution surges

Pakistan's Punjab province shuts schools in smog hit main cities: minister

Pakistan's Punjab province shuts schools in smog-hit main cities

Microplastics increasing in freshwater, directly related to plastic production

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.