King Charles has said he and Queen Camilla are “heartbroken” after hearing about the flooding in Valencia.
The monarch, 75, has written a personal letter to King Philip of Spain, offering his condolences for “the tragic loss of so many lives.”
Devastating flooding in the region has killed more than 200 people, as the Spanish royal family is reportedly visiting today.
Signing the message Carlos R, the King wrote: ‘My wife and I were deeply heartbroken to learn of the destruction and devastation following the catastrophic floods in the south and east of Spain.
‘Many people in the UK have strong personal ties to Spain, and our nations are united by many things we have in common.
King Charles (pictured in September) has said he and Queen Camilla are “heartbroken” after hearing about the flooding in Valencia.
“We express our deepest condolences to you and the people of Spain for the tragic loss of so many lives.”
He added: “Our special thoughts, prayers and deepest possible condolences are with all those who have lost their loved ones and their livelihoods in this terrible week.”
Hopes of finding survivors dwindled five days after torrents of muddy water destroyed towns and infrastructure in Spain’s worst such disaster in decades.
Almost all of the deaths have occurred in the Valencia region, where thousands of security and emergency services frantically cleared debris and mud in search of bodies.
Describing “the worst natural disaster in the recent history of our country”, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said it was the second deadliest flood in Europe this century.
The government had accepted the Valencia region leader’s request for 5,000 more soldiers and informed Sánchez of a new deployment of 5,000 police and civil guards, the prime minister said.
Spain was carrying out its largest peacetime deployment of military personnel and security forces, he added.
Restoring order and distributing aid to destroyed cities and towns, some of which have been left without food, water and electricity since Tuesday’s torrent, is a priority.
King Philip will reportedly visit the region today. In the photo in a minute of silence for the victims of the floods of October 31.
Volunteers and neighbors clean the mud four days after flash floods devastated everything in their path in Paiporta, on the outskirts of Valencia.
The monarch, 75, has written a personal letter to King Philip of Spain offering his condolences for ‘the tragic loss of so many lives’
Authorities have been criticized for warning systems ahead of the floods, and some affected residents have complained that the response to the disaster is too slow.
“I am aware that the response is not enough, there are problems and severe shortages… towns buried in mud, desperate people looking for their relatives… we have to improve,” Sánchez said.
In the towns of Alfafar and Sedavi, at ground zero, journalists did not see soldiers as residents removed mud from their homes and firefighters pumped water from garages and tunnels.
‘Thanks to the people who have come to help us, all of them, because nothing comes from the authorities,’ said an angry Estrella Cáceres, 66, in Sedavi.
Meanwhile, royal families across Europe were quick to express their support for the nation.
Belgium’s King Philippe has also been in contact with King Philippe, with the royal house in Brussels adding on X, formerly Twitter: “Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones and the Spanish people.”
King Felipe and Letizia themselves previously issued a statement saying: “Our most fervent wish is that the missing people are located alive and rescued as soon as possible, and our solidarity with the thousands of people affected.”
Authorities in the Valencian Community have restricted access to roads for two days to allow emergency services to carry out search, rescue and logistics operations more effectively.
With telephone and transport networks severely damaged, it is difficult to establish an accurate number of missing people.
Rescuers continue searching for survivors for fear that underwater car parks will become “mass graves”
Water runs down stairs in a town in Mallorca while roads are submerged by heavy flooding.
A view of the demolition work of a house damaged following flash floods in Letur, Albacete province, Spain
People in PPE try to sweep mud as they desperately clean the streets
Food donations were made available to the most affected residents in Valencia
Cars piled up in a ditch at a construction site after being swept off the road by heavy flooding
Vehicles pile up in the streets caused by the storm late on Tuesday and early on Wednesday that left hundreds dead or missing in Alfafar, Valencia.
Sanchez said electricity had been restored to 94 percent of homes affected by the power outages and about half of the cut phone lines had been repaired.
Some highways have reopened, but local and regional roads look like “Swiss cheese,” meaning certain places will likely remain inaccessible by land for weeks, Transport Minister Oscar Puente told newspaper El País.
Ordinary citizens carrying food, water and cleaning equipment continued their grassroots effort Saturday to aid in the recovery.
Around 1,000 people left the Mediterranean coastal city of Valencia for nearby towns devastated by floods, according to an AFP journalist.
“There is nothing left,” Mario Silvestre, a resident of the ruined town of Chiva, told AFP when he saw the damage.
‘Politicians promise a lot. Help will come when it comes,” said the octogenarian.
Authorities have urged people to stay home to avoid road congestion that would hamper the work of emergency services.
Regional leader Carlos Mazón called the flooding “the worst moment in our history” on Saturday and presented a series of proposals to help his region recover, ranging from infrastructure to economic support.
He is scheduled to visit flood-affected areas along with royalty and Sánchez on Sunday, Spanish news agency EFE reported.
The storm that caused flooding on Tuesday formed as cold air moved over the warm waters of the Mediterranean and is common at this time of year.
But scientists warn that human-driven climate change is increasing the ferocity, duration and frequency of these extreme weather events.
Emergency services on Saturday night issued an updated figure of 213 people confirmed dead: 210 in the Valencia region, two in neighboring Castilla-La Mancha and one in Andalusia, in the south.
Authorities have warned that the toll could still rise as vehicles trapped in tunnels and underground parking lots are removed.