A day after the terror of the DANA, the search for missing persons continues, with dozens still unaccounted for. At least 95 people have died, with countless damages including blocked roads and areas isolated by water, mud, and landslides.
The Government has mobilized 1,065 personnel from the Ministry of Defense, the Military Emergency Unit, and the Spanish Armed Forces to assist in the rescue and cleanup efforts in the many affected areas, especially in Valencia and Castilla-La Mancha.
Many municipalities are without drinking water, and about 100,000 people are without electricity in the province of Valencia due to the storm, affecting nine percent of the province's population.
This is the most tragic atmospheric catastrophe recorded in Spain in over half a century, since in October 1973, 300 people died due to torrential rains that devastated several towns in Murcia and Andalucía.
Margarita Robles: "The priority is the missing persons. There are many"
"It is a very tough and difficult time." The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, summarized in one sentence the feelings of the 1,205 members of the Military Emergency Unit and the Special Operations Command of the Army who have been working since Tuesday night to locate survivors and victims of the DANA that hit the Valencian Community, Cuenca, and Albacete, reports Marina Pina.
In an interview on 'La mirada crítica', the minister acknowledged that they cannot provide precise data on the missing persons, but confirmed that "there are many." She also announced that on Thursday morning, the UME will focus on "the search for missing persons." Their work will mainly focus on Paiporta and Massanassa, where they suspect that "there may be people in the garages and basements who went to get their cars," she explained. Robles acknowledged that they have no contact with these individuals but has not lost hope: "It may be because communications are cut off."
The minister recalled that throughout Wednesday, the military rescued over a hundred people and also recovered 24 bodies.
"There are 51 canine teams for debris removal and to see if there are any survivors," she explained. They also have over 300 vehicles, 15 helicopters, and 18 drones deployed. "If any locality needs special services, let us know," Robles requested, committing to continue working "for as long as necessary."
The Civil Guard confirms the death of one officer and not two at the Paiporta barracks
The Civil Guard confirmed on Thursday the death of one officer and the partner of another at the Paiporta barracks (Valencia), contrary to the initial information provided by the Unified Association of Civil Guards (Augc), which had reported two deceased officers, reports Efe.
According to the armed institute, after complex search operations, agents from the Specialist Group in Underwater Activities (GEAS) located the lifeless bodies of a civil guard and the partner of another colleague who had been missing at the Paiporta barracks.
The deceased officer was Adolfo Torres Lafuente, 51 years old and a native of Ojos Negros (Teruel). The officer had served in the Civil Guard for 34 years, most of them in the province of Valencia, and had been awarded the Cross of Constancy of the Corps.
The storm causes the closure of ten roads in the province of Seville
A total of ten roads in the province of Seville remain closed to traffic due to the floods resulting from heavy rains affecting various areas of the province. The precipitation is spread across different regions of Seville, reports Efe.
One of the closures was caused by the overflow of the Arroyo Las Cañas, a tributary of the Guadalquivir in the province of Seville, at the bridge connecting the municipalities of Villaverde del Río and Burguillos on the A-460. For the same reason, the SE-5206 road, linking El Coronil with Morón de la Frontera, and the SE-4108 between Carmona and Arahal, have been closed.
The SE-6300 is also closed at Lebrija, and the A-8029 in Los Palacios and Villafranca. The Local Police of Seville has closed the SE-020 towards the Airport, at the Cortijo de las Casillas Avenue, and the SE-3102 at the Pino Montano neighborhood. In Arahal, access from the A-8125 to the Camino de Aragón has been closed due to the overflow of the Butrero and Alameda streams, and the City Council of Lora del Río has warned of water pooling on the A-436, connecting the town with Alcolea del Río.
Additionally, the SE-6102 is closed in La Puebla de los Infantes and the SE-3105 in Carmona, while the rise of the Guadaíra River has caused water pooling hindering traffic on the A-92 between Arahal and Alcalá de Guadaíra.
Security forces monitor roads and businesses in Valencia due to looting and theft
Security forces are maintaining vigilance in the areas affected by the DANA in the province of Valencia following reports of thefts in businesses, homes, and abandoned trucks and cars on the roads.
According to sources from the Civil Guard, theft attempts were reported on the first day of the storm, last Tuesday, in municipalities such as Utiel, where "agents were already monitoring businesses and stopping people early in the morning." "There are operations in Aldaia, in the Ribera region, in l'Horta, in the most affected areas, where we are particularly concerned," they added.
Over 120 roads are closed in Valencia, Castellón, Cuenca, Cádiz, Málaga, Granada, Zaragoza, and Teruel
More than 120 roads remain closed to traffic due to the passage of the DANA, with the most affected areas being the provinces of Valencia, Castellón, Cuenca, Cádiz, Málaga, Granada, Zaragoza, and Teruel, according to the Directorate General of Traffic (DGT), which advises against road travel, especially in Seville, Cádiz, Huelva, Extremadura, Aragón, and Tarragona, following warnings from the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet), reports Europa Press.
Around 8:40 a.m. on Thursday, Traffic is still monitoring several closed roads due to the intense rains in Valencia. Specifically, the A-7 is closed at Masía del Juez and Sagunto; the AP-7 at Carrascalet; the N-III at Villar de Olmos, Utiel, and Siete Aguas; the V-30, V-31, and CV-36 at Horno de Alcedo are also closed.
Also closed are the CV-33 in Torrent; the CV-35 in Titaguas and access to the A-7; the CV-50 in Chiva, Turís, and Llombay, all in both directions. Additionally, in Cuenca, the A-3 is impassable at Atalaya del Cañavate and Minglanilla, towards Valencia, with mandatory diversion via the A-31. The A-2 in Ariza, the A-23 in Teruel, and the A-35 in Albacete, near Almansa, are also affected.
Mazón: "Warnings have been issued since Sunday"
"The complementary warning and alarm system that the authorities have been implementing since Sunday has been done through 112," explained Mazón regarding the prevention of the tragedy. "The Fire Chief and the technicians provided forecasts, including the changing ones, as they received them at each moment," he justified, as reported by Inma Lidón.
"Today, warnings are being issued in the north of Castellón, which is being raised to Red alert. When the technicians receive information, all protocolized and organized, warnings, announcements, and alerts are issued as indicated by Aemet. The technicians warn and act accordingly," he added.
He made it clear that it is not the time for reproaches: "There will be time for that. Right now, I want to avoid bad politics. My principles prevent me from getting into these things now," he stated.