The Minister of Territorial Policy, Ángel Víctor Torres, announced that the government had decided to decree three days of official mourning due to tragedy caused by DANAwhich has already left at least 70 dead. He also urged citizens residing in the areas where the storm moves not leave their home and not use the roadsmany of which are isolated and flooded, according to an initial assessment carried out by the Crisis Committee activated in Moncloa and reported at a press conference.
Likewise, the minister announced that during the next Council of Ministers, scheduled for this Tuesday, the Executive will immediately approve the declaration of a severely affected area as a civil protection emergency – previously known as a disaster zone –.
The head of territorial policy also indicated that the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, spoke with King Felipe VI and the Valencian President, Carlos Mazón, as well as with the President of Castile-La Mancha, Emiliano García Page . He then declared an official three-day mourning, until November 2.
In addition, Sánchez himself announced that he would travel this Thursday to Valencia, one of the areas most affected by DANA. On the other hand, the head of Territorial Policy, who also declared that the executive cannot provide data on missing personshas always avoided responding to criticisms made by the opposition, even though he warned that there would be time to do so.
Torres assured that the government makes “all efforts” possible in collaboration with the two regional governments and asked those affected who are already able to do so to contact government sub-delegations to report the damage suffered, which she described as “very high”. The executive guaranteed “all necessary resources from the Spanish government and the European Union for reconstruction” this must be undertaken.
More than 1,100 EMU soldiers
In the affected areas, he said, 1,116 soldiers are currently in action of the UME, 344 land vehicles, helicopters and planes, 200 members of the Army, 700 of the Civil Guard, 100 of the National Police and local Police officers, Civil Protection personnel and volunteers.
In addition to asking the population of these areas and others targeted by DANA to follow the Aemet Recommendationsavoid taking the road and staying at home, the minister reviewed the situation of the infrastructures and services concerned.
Among them, he mentioned the ports of Sagunto and Gandiawhich remain closed, the AVE and Cercanías lines in Valencia closed, which will be normalized “Always put safety first”and national network roads which remain closed until it is safe to reopen them.
The meeting took place in the presence of the first vice-president and minister of Finance; the second vice-president and minister of labor and social economy; the third vice-president and minister of ecological transformation and demographic challenge; the Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts; the Minister of the Interior; the Minister of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, and the Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory.
Politicians, politics
The PSOE warned in a statement that during the period of mourning will not make “political statements”. They believe that “it is time to be with their families, to protect them and to support all the rescue units who continue to work in very difficult conditions.” In the same vein, they emphasize that “political confrontation has its moments, but today is the moment of unity in pain and in the hope of finding the missing alive.”
This is precisely the scenario that the socialist deputies and members of the government supported during the few minutes when the control session this Wednesday in Congress. It began on time with a minute of silence for the victims, a solemnity that ended with the first question that the Popular Party (PP) had asked the first vice president and Minister of Finance, María Jesús Montero .
A few minutes later, some parliamentary spokespersons asked the Speaker of the Lower House Council for a break to meet with the Council of Spokespersons and decide whether to suspend the plenary session. This is how Francina Armengol herself had to decide, since the necessary unanimity was not achieved. On the other hand, the vote on the decree for the election of RTVE administrators was maintained, to which Neither the “popular” bench, nor that of Vox, nor that of the Valencians of Compromís were present.
The Generalitat has activated a telephone number for assistance to relatives of missing persons: 900 365 112. The authorities ask that this telephone number be reserved solely to provide information on the relative who cannot be reached. For emergencies, the number is always 112.
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