Spain PM Says Flood Disaster Debate Must Follow Recovery


(MENAFN- The Peninsula) AFP

Madrid: The Political reckoning over Spain's deadliest floods in decades must wait until after the country recovers from the disaster, which triggered widespread anger at the governing class, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Monday.

His government also announced a fresh aid package worth almost 3.8 billion euros as Spain counts the cost of the October 29 disaster that has killed 222 people.

The exceptional Mediterranean storm that lashed the European nation particularly devastated the eastern Valencia region, which has suffered most of the deaths and destruction.

Outrage at the authorities for their perceived mismanagement before and after the floods triggered mass protests on Saturday, the largest in Valencia city which drew 130,000 people.

Demonstrators have demanded the resignation of Sanchez and the Valencia region's conservative leader Carlos Mazon, but the left-wing premier insisted all efforts must focus on reconstruction.

"Later will come the political debate about what things we must improve in the face of this climate emergency," Sanchez told a news conference.

Mazon, who will appear before the regional parliament on Thursday to explain his administration's decisions, conceded that "errors may have been committed" and "everyone" would be obliged to review them.

Critics have questioned the efficiency of the Valencia region's alert system that in some cases only reached residents' telephones after the water began gushing through towns.

Volunteers have supplied desperately needed food, water, medicine and cleaning equipment to some devastated towns as the authorities took days to reach them.

The feeling of neglect has given birth to the slogan "only the people save the people", but Sanchez insisted "we are all the state" on Monday.

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The Peninsula

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