Else Beekman
In a remarkable turn of events, a woman survivor has been rescued alive three days after being trapped in her vehicle during the catastrophic DANA floods that ravaged the province of Valencia. The news was announced by an emotional Martín Pérez, the head of Moncada’s Civil Protection, to a round of applause from 400 volunteers.
“After three days, we have found a person alive inside a car,” Pérez stated, conveying the relief and surprise that swept through the emergency teams.
The woman was discovered in Benetúser. There, Civil Protection teams began clearing the massive piles of vehicles blocking the area. As they worked, they heard her desperate cries for help. She had been trapped in her car since the initial flooding. Multiple vehicles were stacked on top, making any attempt to escape impossible. Following her rescue, she was promptly transferred to medical services for treatment.
Focus shifts to searching for the missing
The primary focus for emergency teams remains the search for those still missing. Many drivers were caught in their cars when the flooding hit, while others were swept away by the fierce currents. The exact number of missing remains uncertain. However, Valencia’s regional president Carlos Mazón emphasised on Friday that releasing a specific figure could be misleading due to the changing circumstances.
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As the days pass, the death toll continues to rise, with over 200 fatalities reported. On Friday, soldiers from the Military Emergency Unit (UME) found three bodies in the parking area of Algemesí’s Mercat. Furthermore, another tragic discovery included a couple and their baby found deceased on the CV-424 road connecting Godelleta to Chiva.