More than 700 calls for people trapped in elevators due to the power outage
Most have already been evacuated, according to the Fire Department.
BarcelonaThe first concern of the emergency services when the major power outage was declared was the trapped people. Information from the coordination rooms of the Mossos d'Esquadra (Catalan police) and the Fire Department indicated shortly after the power outage that dozens of people were trapped inside subway trains and also in elevators, both public and private. Two hours later, the situation on the subway and commuter trains was resolved, with the evacuation of passengers. The emergency services' priority was then the people trapped in elevators. According to ARA, the emergency services have received more than 700 reports of people in this situation. Although emergency sources do not rule out the possibility that there are still others, they add that the situation has improved and they have already rescued most of those affected.
Specifically, as of 5:00 PM, the Generalitat Fire Department has received 526 reports about the blackout. Of these, approximately 80% were for people trapped in elevators in buildings throughout Catalonia. The failure of elevators also required the assistance of firefighters in several parts of the country. In Badalona, a firefighting team lifted a person in a wheelchair to the ninth floor. By region, there were 53 calls in the central region, 53 in Girona, 27 in Lleida, 193 in the northern Metropolitan Region, 93 in the southern Metropolitan Region, 52 in Tarragona, and 11 in Terres de l'Ebre. According to the firefighters, none of the incidents were serious.
In turn, the Barcelona Fire Department handled 388 calls, of which 90% were elevator-related incidents, and they ultimately responded to 150. According to the City Council, priority was given to those trapped in healthcare centers, nursing homes, and schools, as well as vulnerable people.
Homeless Care
As the first hours of the blackout pass, Barcelona's social emergency services are preparing for the possibility that the major power outage could extend into the night. Among other things, they are considering a system to assist homeless people if the usual facilities cannot be used to accommodate them tonight.
The Barcelona Social Emergency and Urgency Center has also reinforced its service to address "any potential situations that may arise, especially those caring for the most vulnerable," the city council reported. It is also analyzing the list of senior citizen homes and checking that they have generators to guarantee the power supply.