Paiporta has been the ground zero of the tragedy caused by the worst DANA of the 21st century. The municipality of 27,000 inhabitants located a few kilometers from the city of Valencia has been the most devastated by the meteorological catastrophe: there have been 40 of the 95 confirmed deaths in the country.
During the afternoon of Tuesday, strong floods several meters high spread panic in Paiporta, leaving the streets flooded, the houses completely flooded and the entire town cut off, without electricity and without waterafter the Turia River overflowed on the right side of the V-30 highway, with which this municipality borders.
The City Council of the town hardest hit by the devastation announced that “dozens of people” were missing. As the hours passed, authorities confirmed several fatalities. In the last 48 hours, 40 people have lost their lives, including two civil guards and six elderly from a flooded residence.
The workers at the residential complex managed to move most of the elderly to safer and higher placesbut the quick action did not prevent the tragedy. In this senior center and others, the rubble still hides many missing people.
Among the deceased are also Lourdes, 34 years old, and Angelina, her three-month-old baby. Relatives and friends of this woman asked first thing in the morning that her disappearance be publicized, having not heard anything about them since nine o’clock on Tuesday night. This Wednesday night they reported that both had been found dead.
The torrential rains and flooding in Paiporta have left chilling images never before seen there. The Poyo ravine It overflowed all the bridges and the water took away a walkway. The City Council of this municipality then warned that the bridges were closed and asked its neighbors not to leave their homes.
Several municipalities in the Huerta Sur region of Valencia such as Paiporta, Xirivella, Torrent or Picanya have felt the worst effects of DANA. Over there, The emergency services continue to search for the rest of the missing people and carry out rescue work.