Armando G. Tejeda

Correspondent

La Jornada Newspaper
Sunday, November 3, 2024, p. 19

Madrid. In the midst of the devastation and despair, in the Valencian town of Benetússer, a surprising rescue was recorded: an elderly woman who had been trapped in her car, in the company of her sister-in-law, in an underground passage that suddenly flooded. due to torrential rains.

She couldn’t get out and due to the situation of the streets, no one could access the area and so they were cut off for three days, until a rescue team heard their cries for help.

They managed to reach the vehicle and pulled the woman out alive, but her companion had died; She was transferred to the nearest hospital.

These types of rescues miraculous They bring some hope to the thousands of victims of the Isolated Depression at High Levels (DANA), which caused the worst natural disaster in the recent history of Spain, with a provisional toll of 211 dead and more than 1,900 missing.

French firefighters arrive

In the midst of popular indignation over the lack of support from the State and its slow reaction, a video was spread on social networks about the arrival of French firefighters to the municipalities of Paiporta, Alfafar and surrounding towns, before Spanish authorities, which caused multiple convictions.

On the other hand, Juan Roig, president of Mercadona – one of the main supermarket companies in Spain – responded with insults to young people who confronted him for forcing the chain’s workers to continue working driving trucks in the midst of an emergency.

Likewise, several users ironically thanked the donation of 4 million euros made to those affected by the Spanish fashion magnate, Amancio Ortega, owner of a fortune of 122.7 billion dollars, being one of the 10 richest people. of the world, according to the magazine Forbes.

The president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, announced – six days later – the deployment of 10,000 more troops.

Sánchez did not urgently convene a Council of Ministers and will wait until next Tuesday, when it is scheduled to take place, to declare as severely affected area to the region, which will expedite public resources for reconstruction and urgent aid.