Spain deploys more troops to assist in search and clean-up operations

As the search continues for bodies after Spain’s deadliest natural disaster in living memory, the country has deployed more soldiers to the eastern region of Valencia.

Tsunami-like floods swept through the southern outskirts of the city on Tuesday, covering many communities with thick mud.

The death toll from the catastrophic flood has risen to at least 214 with dozens of people in the region still unaccounted for.

In a televised address, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the government was sending 5,000 more troops to assist with search and clean-up operations, in addition to 2,500 soldiers already deployed in the area.

"It is the biggest operation by the Armed Forces in Spain in peacetime," Sanchez said, adding that the government would mobilise all necessary resources as long as they were needed.

While hopes of finding survivors are fading, there have been some surprises.  Rescuers on Saturday found a woman trapped in a car alive next to her dead sister-in-law.

As rescuers pump water out of tunnels and underground parking garages, the death toll from the flooding is expected to rise.

Civilians have been joining in efforts to clean streets, shops, and public places as search and rescue efforts and aid distribution continues.

The clean-up operation is expected to take weeks.

Sánchez’s government is also expected to approve a disaster declaration on Tuesday that will allow quick access to financial aid.