“If nothing is done now, someone could die here. “I appeal to all administrations because this cannot be delayed, because lives are at stake.” These shocking statements were made on September 29, 2023 to ABC by the mayor of Beas de Guadix, Juan José Porcel. He requested the dismantling of Cerro del Castillejo, a mass of stone, sand and clay located just above the cave houses and homes of the Perchel neighborhood. Their demands were not met and on August 21, 2024, a storm forced the evacuation of almost 50 residents, a significant percentage of the total population of this small town in the Granada region of Guadix, which does not reach 300 inhabitants. This is a clear case of warnings not heeded. Now, the city council chaired by Porcel is considering requesting the declaration of an area seriously affected by a civil protection emergency (previously a catastrophic area) to repair damage estimated at around 885,000 euros. The danger has been lurking for two decades now. Since then, work has been carried out at critical points, but the mayor is clear that this is not a definitive solution, that the only thing that will put an end to the problem will be the dismantling of the hill. “It’s simpler, more effective and cheaper,” he says. It would cost around half a million euros, according to his calculations. A price much lower than the 885,000 euros at which the recent damage is estimated. A large stone, detached from the hillside in front of some ABC houses. After the events of last Wednesday, the Provincial Council of Granada has promised to provide assistance. also to request the collaboration of the Junta de Andalucía and the central government. But while they wait for their arrival, the risk of new landslides from the slope remains. The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) announces a change in the weather in a few days. But even if it does not rain, there is danger. It is not uncommon to find a large stone in front of the houses. Porcel recalls that he had already informed the previous government delegate in Granada, Inmaculada López Calahorro, of all this. “I asked her if she was waiting for someone to die.” There was none, but fate was tempted again. The residents of the houses that line the hill were evicted and offered accommodation, although they initially refused to spend the night in the homes of their relatives and in private vans, or in the same environment, although they were warned that they had to stay outside the caves until the technical services finished their work for their safety. The firefighters rehabilitated the entire area and marked it out so that it was not possible to enter the houses and, early in the morning of last Friday, the Provincial Council of Granada, together with the technicians and chief coordinators of the service, evaluated the area, after which it was decided that the City Council would maintain the active eviction to continue analyzing the environment depending on the evolution of the weather.
Collapses and evictions agree with the mayor of a small town in Granada: “We cannot leave dead people, we must act now”
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