Valencia is completely overwhelmed after the ravages of the worst cold snap of the century. A DANA which left 95 deadof which 92 were recorded in Valenciawith two in Castile-La Mancha and one in Malaga. Paiportaone of the epicenters of the disaster, confirmed 45 deaths, according to mayor Maribel Albalat, who spoke of a “Isolated” municipality in which “nothing works”. All this with help that has still not arrived and it is beginning to be absolutely incomprehensible and intolerable that at this moment the residents feel abandoned.
Of the total number of deaths in the province of Valencia, 45 occurred in Paiportaa town located about ten kilometers from the Valencian capital, including 34 in urban areas and six in retirement homes from the outskirts of the city. In Valencia, this Tuesday, 445.4 liters per square meter fell, the highest recorded in 24 hours in this region since September 11, 1966, when 520 l/m2 accumulated in the Tavernes de la Val.
Furthermore, the torrential rains which hit Castilla-La Mancha has already caused two deathsone in Mira (Cuenca) and another in Letur (Albacete), where the search for five missing people continues and around 300 rescuers are displaced, while in Malaga, a 71-year-old man, rescued from his home due to following the floods which hit part of the province yesterday, he died this Wednesday in the hospital where he had been transferred.
On the other hand, more than 70 roadsmost of the secondary network, are affected by the consequences of torrential rains which caused rivers to overflow and flooded roads, particularly in the Valencian Community and Castile-La Mancha, where the A-3 and A-7 motorways continue to be cut. More than 22,000 carriers have been affected by the closure of the main communication axes that connect the Valencian Community with Madrid, as well as the Mediterranean corridor, while Renfe has decided to suspend the rail service on the entire Zaragoza-Teruel-Valencia line in due to the storm that affects the east and south of the peninsula and a good part of Aragon, with the flooding of roads near Villanueva de Huerva.
Paiporta, the epicenter of the disaster
Paiporta was one of disaster epicenters caused by flooding. This Wednesday, the mayor of the town herself, Maribel Albalat, confirmed that there were at least 45 dead. In addition, the mayor explained that the town of Paiporta, about ten kilometers southwest of Valencia, “is isolated, nothing works” and that they do not have “water”, adding that they were trying to “open lines of communication.”
“THE The latest death toll I have is 45. but I haven’t updated it because I haven’t been able to encounter the command post yet. This figure includes six people from the residence,” he said. He also explained that “the closer you are to the river and the ravine, the worse it is” and that the majority of the deceased were in this area.
The mayor herself, who commands alongside the Civil Guard and the UME, affirmed that the troops of the local authorities “They are working to prioritize the care of the injured”a few, as he said. “There are dozens of deaths in Paiporta. They give me figures but the figures fluctuate,” detailed the mayor. He indicated that people who cannot locate their loved ones in Paiporta should go to the Civil Guard headquarters on Calle Calamocha, Valencia.
On the other hand, the Civil Guard confirmed this Thursday the death of an agent and the partner of another in the Paiporta barracks (Valencia), compared to what was initially reported by the Unified Association of Civil Guards (Augc), which spoke this Wednesday of two deceased agents. As confirmed by the armed institute, after complicated searches, agents of the Group of Specialists in Underwater Activities (GEAS) located the lifeless bodies of a civil guard and the companion of another colleague still carried disappeared in the Paiporta barracks. He is Adolfo Torres Lafuente, 51 years old and originally from Ojos Negros (Teruel).
250 million in aid
As part of the collective hysteria reigning in Valencia, local authorities have started to take matters into your own handshas. The Generalitat Valenciana has allowed a first batch of aid of 250 million euros to treat people affected by DANA which has affected the province of Valencia in recent days.
These aids, which They will be compatible with those of other administrationsare included in a first decree that the Consell is expected to approve on Tuesday during its next plenary session. This was indicated on Thursday by the president of the Regional Executive, Carlos Mazón, during his appearance before the media at the Emergency Coordination Center (CCE) of the Generalitat.
In this same call, the president of the Provincial Delegation of Valencia, Vicent Mompó, announced that this institution had decided to promote another aid plan of 25 million euros. The aid from the Generalitat includes different blocks, as Mazón clarified. A first modality of “direct aid without bureaucracy”simulating the system used by the Campanar fire, “to rebuild the lives of those affected”, to take care of both cleaning needs and furniture purchases. This aid will be a minimum of 6,000 euros per person concerned.
Another aid package will be social assistance “to dependent and very vulnerable people” to cover, for example, moves or changes of residence, said the “president”. This social component also provides assistance with free duplication of documents, free travel cards for public transport and psychological assistance to relatives of victims and any person concerned.
Letur, another hot spot
Baiporta is not the only area where flooding has left unprecedented images of water invading the streets. Letur (Albacete) also remained devastated after the passage of DANA. The center of the town was completely inundated by a flood, and this Wednesday the neighbors, many in a sea of tears, detailed to the press that they were looking for two municipal employees, a couple with whom there was nothing left. and was shaved; and at least one other older woman. Emiliano García-Page, president of Castilla-La Mancha, admitted that the prognosis regarding the missing is “very negative”, while remaining “hopeful”.
The device of some 150 soldiers working in the search for the five people missing in Letur (Albacete) after the flood resumed its tasks early this Thursday, which mainly focuses on combing the area of the natural channel of the stream which overflowed this Tuesday . Civil Guard sources explained that the device It is made up of around 150 peopleof which 60 are agents of the Armed Institutefrom various specialties, such as the Citizen Security units, Seprona and the underwater activities team.
In addition, they also have a helicopter, three drones and dogs specialized in searching for people. Firefighters from the Albacete Provincial Delegation also participate in the system, Red Cross civil protection troops and twelve soldiers from the special operations command who were on maneuvers in the area. The system is complemented by environmental agents and Infocam staff, who work to clean up the city. This system is divided into three mixed working groups, communicating with each other, and which comb the area where the stream and the slopes flow, since this is where everything suggests that the missing people could be found.
