Mission Statement: to assist the integration of foreign residents living in Spain
By Gemma Middleton •
Published: 06 Nov 2024 • 12:54
• 3 minutes read
The devastation left behind after DANA continues to unfold (the storm also referred to as ‘la gota fria’), and the death toll so far has been officially reported as 217. Tensions remain high as an undisclosed number of people are still missing and finding survivors one week after the storm struck the Valencian region is looking unlikely. Many survivors of the storm and other members of the general public are questioning if the true amount of victims is being kept secret because of public outrage.
Was the civil protection alert delivered too late?
Residents are extremely angry regarding the way Spanish officials responded before and after the storm. On Sunday, November 3rd, the King and Queen of Spain, along with the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, faced an angry mob when they visited one of the worst-hit towns, Paiporta. People threw mud and other debris at the group and shouted “murderers” at them. The general mood of the region is that of shock, grief, anger and blame because they believe the civil protection alert was sent too late and the delay in sending help to areas submerged in up to seven metres of water.
No Wifi, electricity and ongoing chaos have made communication impossible
In the absence of an official missing person figure, there are a couple of facts that need to be taken into account. One is the data of the first crisis coordination centre meetings, disclosed by Eldiario.es, which documented they had received 1,900 phone calls from people reporting the disappearance of a loved one. That figure decreased over time because many of these reported absences were caused by isolation and a lack of wifi or mobile phones that had lost power. The other event to be aware of is the emails and phone calls received in the past few days by Joaquín Amills, president of the SOS Desaparecidos Association. He told the press: “We have managed close to 3,000 missing persons alerts. How many are still active? We don t know. And the worst part is that we have the feeling that the chaos and disorganization are so absolute that no one at this moment knows precisely what is going on.” Social media has been rife, with many posts going viral regarding the search taking place at Bonaire shopping centre, located in Aldia and just outside of Valencia city. It is one of the biggest shopping centres in Spain. The entire subterranean two-story car park flooded within minutes and with a parking capacity of over five thousand parking spaces, many officials and the general public fear what the death toll may be. Currently, the car park is being drained and divers are searching the submerged cars for bodies.
We will not stop until those responsible for this avoidable slaughter pay for what they ve done
Grieving relatives now state they will take legal action against the Spanish government. Ruth Benavent, the wife of Francisco José Quesada Moya, wants to do this as soon as possible after discovering her husband and their pet dog had drowned. The family, along with a group of friends, desperately tried to find him in the village of Pedralba. A British couple, Don Turner, 78, and his wife Terry, 74, originally from Staffordshire, were also found dead in their car in the village of Pedralba. Francisco Moya went out to walk their dog and he spoke with his wife several times on the phone until all contact stopped from him. “We conducted searches on our own. No one helped us, and we reported his disappearance,” explains the widow, who has lost absolutely everything. Deborah, the sister-in-law, warned: “This family will not forget what has happened. We will not stop until those responsible for this avoidable slaughter pay for what they have done.”
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Written by
Gemma Middleton
Gemma is a content writer, teacher and screenwriter who has lived in Spain for 16 years. She’s now enjoying her time as an ’empty nester’
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