Spanish floods: Mirror joins hero volunteers fighting to save communities in 'worst ever disaster'

Thousands of volunteers person turned retired en masse successful the flood-ravaged regions of Spain astir Valencia to assistance those request and statesman to cleanable up the extended damage

An service of kind-hearted volunteers contiguous joined the exigency services to assistance to clean up the carnage caused by the Valencia floods.

Thousands made their mode to the worst deed areas, connected what is simply a Spanish holiday day, equipped with brushes, shovels and rakes, arsenic good arsenic much-needed supplies, including nutrient and water, to assistance strangers successful need.

Student Guillermo Garcia and his begetter Herman, 52, summed up the temper portion walking to the country of Sedavi carrying an array of items, including blankets, java and milk.

Guillermo, 20, who lives successful Valencia city-centre, told the Mirror: "We person been lucky, but we privation to assistance those little fortunate. We are each people, we person to assistance each other. It's hard to spot radical going done this. We person brought them brushes and shovels to assistance cleanable up, arsenic good arsenic water, java and milk."

They spoke aft leaving their car adjacent the colony of Castellar L'Oliveral, wherever locals yesterday began clearing each of their sodden belongings from their homes. Items seen piled up astatine the broadside of homes determination included sofas, chairs, tables, pots, pans, plates and adjacent CDs and DVDs.

It had been reported that soldiers would contiguous articulation the clean-up campaign, but they were obscurity to beryllium seen, amid fears they were struggling to scope the country owed to galore main roads inactive being blocked by thousands of abandoned vehicles.

Violeta Fernandiz, 22, her sisters Irene, 29, and Aesther, 25, and pal Julia Cano, 25, were besides among the flood heroes. She said: "Its unspeakable to spot what has happened. We've travel due to the fact that we privation to assistance and support our people. Many of my people colleagues person been affected."

Julia, who works arsenic an illustrator, added: "Our homes are OK, but if this had happened to our homes I'd anticipation different radical would travel to help."

Office idiosyncratic Jorge Perez, who was wearing a Glasgow Rangers shot top, walked 30 minutes from his location successful flood-hit Sedavi, which had been nether 10ft of water, successful bid to assistance others, including galore aged residents, successful Castellar L'Oliveral.

He said: "My location is OK due to the fact that I unrecorded connected the archetypal floor, but each the homes connected the crushed level beneath maine person been flooded out.

"The dada of my person is missing. He is simply a teacher aged successful his 50s. We are searching for him. He was past seen conscionable earlier the flood came. He was trying to determination the car to determination harmless to prevention it.

"He is 1 of 4 radical I cognize who person died oregon are missing. Two of them died connected my thoroughfare arsenic they were trapped wrong the crushed floor. I consciousness bushed and sad, but I wanted to travel present to springiness radical h2o and food. They don't person anything. Everyone is helping each other."