The investigation into the catastrophic flood that struck Valencia on October 29, 2024, claiming 229 lives, is ongoing. The judge from Catarroja handling the case has noted that the first casualties appeared even before the official activation of the emergency coordination center (Cecopi), which was convened by the regional government at 17:00. According to the investigation, the tragic events began between 16:45 and 17:30, when water from the tributaries of the Poyo River (El Poyo) flooded several towns, including Catarroja and Paiporta.
The judge points out that most victims became trapped due to a sudden rise in water levels in the areas of Godelleta, Turis, and Torrent. These findings align with an analysis by specialists from the University of Alicante, who recorded the heaviest rainfall during that period. In just three hours, more than 20 cubic hectometers of water fell in the Orteta sub-basin, leading to devastating consequences.
The proceedings have revealed that monitoring of water levels in ravines, which should have been carried out by regional authorities, was effectively absent. Attention has also been drawn to the actions of forest firefighters, who left the danger zone an hour and a half before the disaster hit. According to the former head of the service, the reason for leaving was to have lunch. This episode has raised concerns in court, and the former chief has already been summoned to testify.
The situation became more complicated after it emerged that the Valencian government had not provided the court with all the video footage recorded on the day of the tragedy. The judge demanded that the contractor working for the regional authorities hand over the original, unedited recordings, including audio. Particular attention was drawn to clips published on Instagram by former Justice and Interior Department head Salome Pradas, who is currently a defendant in the case. These videos capture scenes from the coordination center in L’Eliana (L’Eliana) at the height of the disaster, when thousands of emergency calls for help were coming in.
The court insists on obtaining all the recordings to determine exactly how the authorities and rescue services responded during the critical hours. Pradas’s advisor, who may have filmed these videos on mobile devices, has also been summoned for questioning. He is currently based in Madrid, but his involvement in the October 2024 events could shed light on officials’ actions on the day of the tragedy.
The investigation emphasizes that this is a case with serious consequences, and any attempts to conceal information will be regarded as obstruction of justice. The court also intends to find out why some video footage remained out of reach for nearly a year and how this may have affected the course of the investigation.
