The Spanish government will send 10,000 soldiers and police to Valencia after deadly floods

MADRID (AP) — Spain is sending 5,000 more soldiers and 5,000 more police to the eastern region of Valencia following deadly floods this week that killed more than 200 people, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Saturday.

So far, 205 bodies have been recovered – 202 in Valencia, two in neighboring Castilla La Mancha and one in Andalusia to the south – in Spain’s deadliest natural disaster in living memory.

Rescuers were still searching for bodies in stranded cars and soaked buildings on Saturday, four days after monstrous flash floods swept away everything in their path in eastern Spain. An unknown number of people are still missing.

Thousands of volunteers are helping to clear the thick mud covering streets, homes and businesses in the hardest-hit cities.

Some 2,000 soldiers are currently involved in the emergency response, as well as almost 2,500 Gendarmes of the Civil Guard – who carried out 4,500 rescues during the floods – and 1,800 national police officers.