PAIPORTA, Spain — Another 2,500 soldiers arrived in the flood-hit east of Spain on Monday (Nov 4) to reinforce efforts to locate bodies and clear debris, as government officials traded blame over how the worst flooding in decades has been handled and as first aid packages were being readied.

Public anger is mounting over the disaster that has killed at least 217 people with dozens of others still unaccounted for. Almost all of the deaths occurred in the Valencia region and more than 60 in the suburb of Paiporta.

The army sent about 5,000 soldiers over the weekend to help distribute food and water, clean up streets and guard against looters and a further 2,500 would join them, Defence Minister Margarita Robles told state-owned radio RNE.

A warship with 104 marine infantry soldiers as well as trucks with food and water arrived in Valencia port even as a strong hailstorm pummelled Barcelona some 300 km to the north.

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