Mazón recognized to the mayor of Valencia that there would be "dozens of deaths" the night of the flood

ValenciaAt 11:37 p.m. on the night of the storm, former Valencian president Carlos Mazón informed the mayoress of Valencia, María José Catalá, that there were already "dozens of dead." This is stated in the WhatsApp messages that the PP leader has provided to the summary of the judicial case being investigated in the Catarroja court, and to which ARA has had access.

The dialogue between the two conservative leaders began at 11:13 p.m., when Catalá warned the former head of the Council that she was at the central headquarters of the Local Police of Valencia. "If you need anything, let me know," said the mayoress to the politician from Alicante, who, seven minutes later, replied: "Okay. It's horrible. There will be many dead." Words to which Catalá responded with a laconic "I know." Finally, at 11:27 p.m., the president specified that there were already "dozens" of victims.

The conversation between Mazón and Catalá took place after the first appearance of the then-president, who at 9:30 p.m. assured that he could not "confirm human losses." Three hours later, and despite being aware of the existence of dozens of dead, at 12:35 a.m. on October 30, he admitted for the first time that "lifeless bodies" had been found in the areas affected by the overflow. He also added that bodies continued to appear in hard-to-reach areas, but said he avoided providing any death toll out of "respect for the families."

Without protocol

There are other striking messages that became known this Thursday, such as those from the group of councilors of the Valencia City Council, in which the mayoress wrote at 8:52 a.m. on the fateful October 29 that it was "evident that there is no protocol for these situations" and that "the next day" it was necessary to "get to work". "It is illogical that we suspend outdoor activities and do not warn schools to avoid the playgrounds, for example," she complained.