Flood damage in Spain amounts to 120 mln euros
- Paul Giblin
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E-mail Xinhua, October 1, 2012
MADRID, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- The damage caused by the torrential rainfall in Spain on Friday and Saturday stood at around 120 million euros (about 155 million U.S. dollars), the Insurance Compensation Commission said on Monday.
The majority of the damage was done in the southeast of the country, affecting the communities of Andalusia, Murcia and Valencia.
The rainfall of up to 200 liters per square meter, has so far claimed 10 lives, while three people are still missing after the floodwaters swept through several small towns and washed away bridges.
Insurance agents have reported around 19,500 separate incidents and have calculated damages of 62.7 million euros in the Valencia region, where around 5,000 homes, 1,200 businesses and 2,000 cars all suffered damage, 42 million in Andalusia and 15 million in Murcia.
The east of Andalusia was one of the hardest hit regions with around 3,400 homes, 200 businesses and 750 cars damaged or destroyed near the town of Almeria, where five people lost their lives on Friday and Saturday.
Meanwhile in Murcia, the town of Puerto Lumbreras was the worst affected with around 3,500 homes damaged by floodwaters.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said on Saturday that he would be asking the European Union for economic aid to help recover from the effects of the floods.
Speaking at a meeting of his Popular Party in the Basque city of Vitoria, Rajoy transmitted his solidarity with the affected families for the "dramatic events," adding they would receive the "support and affection" of the government.
Rajoy's words were echoed by opposition leader Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, who said his Socialist (PSOE) Party would take "all of the parliamentary initiatives possible" to assure the affected regions received aid.
Rubalcaba added he had spoken to the European Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs asking for help. "There are European programs for this kind of help," confirmed the PSOE leader. (1 euro = 1.29 U.S. dollars) Enditem
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