Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez speaks at the Emergency Services Coordination Center in Valencia.

He announced that the region would be declared a disaster area and the official crisis level had been increased to level 2.

“We will not abandon the people of Valencia,” he says.

“We will always be there for you when necessary and will mobilize all the necessary resources. Of course, our priority right now is to find the victims, find the missing persons.

“And so that friends or family can really ease the anxiety that families, victims and missing persons are experiencing.”
“He reiterated warnings we had previously reported from the country’s transport minister that authorities believed many bodies were still trapped in vehicles hit by floods.”

He adds that people affected by the disaster should stay at home and that he predicts that heavy rains will increase further (see article 7.09).

“The most important thing is that I know that the Spanish people are aware that this phenomenon is not over yet,” he says.

“The Spanish weather agency is still sounding the alarm in Valencia and elsewhere in Spain, so I urge everyone to heed these recommendations and those of law enforcement and protection authorities.

“Anyone affected, please stay home.”