Some 7,500 military personnel and 9,479 members of the State Law Enforcement Forces and Agencies are mobilised in the area affected by the DANA

Moncloa Palace, Madrid

Sixth meeting of the crisis committee to monitor the effects of the DANA (Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo)

The Minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, has appeared at a press conference at Moncloa Palace after the sixth meeting of the crisis committee to monitor the effects of the DANA. The meeting was initially chaired by the head of the Executive, Pedro Sánchez, who later travelled to the Valencian Community to accompany the King and Queen on their visit to the affected areas.

Torres, who updated the official figures for the death toll in this catastrophe - which now stand at 217 people, 188 of whom have already undergone autopsies - said that the number of army troops in the area has risen, following a request from President Mazón, to around 6,000, and the rest will arrive in the next few hours, bringing the total to 7,500 soldiers. In addition, tonight the amphibious ship 'Galicia' will arrive at the Port of Valencia.

As for the State Law Enforcement Forces and Agencies, "there are currently a total of 9,479 troops" mobilised, 4,256 from the national police and 5,223 from the Guardia Civil.

Regarding the creation of working groups with different ministries within the framework of the CECOPI, which President Mazón has requested and the Government has accepted, Torres pointed out that "we want it to be as efficient and quick as possible, and tomorrow the ministers will make themselves available" to the relevant ministers of the Valencian Community and, from there, "new meetings will he had with the technical heads to take the best, most appropriate decisions."

Sixth meeting of the crisis committee to monitor the effects of the DANA | Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo

He also recalled that this coming Tuesday, the Council of Ministers will approve the Declaration of a Seriously Affected Zone, "and an inter-ministerial Commission will also be approved in order to coordinate the work of all the ministries in permanent collaboration with the Government of the Valencian Community."

New meeting of the crisis committee chaired by the King, to be joined by the minister for health

Torres announced that the crisis committee, chaired by King Felipe VI, will meet again tomorrow, and that the minister for health will join the meeting as of tomorrow. He also announced that the Minister for the Presidency, Parliamentary Relations and Democratic Memory, Félix Bolaños, has called a meeting for tomorrow with the different parliamentary groups to inform them about the situation and the actions regarding the DANA.

In terms of compensation, the minister explained that the Insurance Compensation Consortium is expected to start making the first payments this week, as 35,800 compensation claims have already been received.

Minister for Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, Ángel Víctor Torres, during the appearance after the meeting of the crisis committee | Pool Moncloa/Fernando Calvo

Regarding the repair of telecommunications, Torres explained that some 3,000 people remain without electricity and up to 88% of fixed telephony and 50% of mobile telephony has been recovered. Work is also continuing to repair all gas and water supplies and to reopen roads and trains.

Finally, the minister asked the public for "caution," "responsibility," "maximum respect for the rules," and to follow the instructions of the FCSE, because the DANA "has not yet left us" and there are some places that are still under a red warning, such as Almería. "Let's move away from the hoaxes that do tremendous damage when there is so much pain," he said.

He also thanked "the work of all the professionals and also the response of the Spanish people," who are showing "great heart." "We are proud of the reactions of our people, of the men and women of this country," he concluded.

Non official translation