Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced the deployment of an additional 5,000 soldiers and 5,000 police officers to the eastern region of Valencia after the recent deadly floods.

Sanchez said the disaster represented the second-deadliest flood in Europe this century during his televised speech on Saturday.

He noted that his country is carrying out its largest deployment of army and security force personnel in peacetime.

More than 200 people have been killed in Spain’s deadliest natural disaster in living memory. 

On Tuesday, torrential rain triggered flash floods which swept away bridges and buildings and forced people to climb onto roofs or cling to trees to survive. The death toll is feared to climb as many people are still missing.