Testimony revealed Wednesday centers on the timeline of events surrounding the devastating “dana” storm that struck the Valencia region on October 29, 2024, resulting in 229 deaths. The ongoing criminal inquiry is examining the response of regional officials, including discussions regarding a potential visit by President Carlos Mazón to the town of Utiel hours before the flooding occurred. Key details emerging from the testimony include the loss of crucial WhatsApp communications and differing accounts of decision-making during the crisis.
Valencia regional officials discussed the possibility of a visit by the regional president, Carlos Mazón, to the town of Utiel hours before devastating floods struck on October 29, 2024, according to testimony given Wednesday. The testimony centers on the response to the “dana” – a severe weather event that caused 229 deaths – and is part of an ongoing criminal investigation.
José Manuel Cuenca, the secretary of the President’s Office and Communications for the Valencian government, told investigators that the idea of Mazón traveling to Utiel around 5:00 p.m. on October 29th was raised, but then-regional counselor Salomé Pradas indicated access to the area was blocked. Cuenca testified he never suggested Mazón go to the regional emergency operations center (Cecopi), stating Pradas kept them informed about the situation.
Cuenca stated he did not observe anything unusual, describing the Cecopi as a technical body, and noted forecasts at the time indicated the storm would move north by 6:00 p.m. He emphasized that if the severity of the situation had been known, actions could have been different. “I wasn’t aware of the Poyo ravine or anything, I found out the following morning,” he said.
President’s Whereabouts Known
Cuenca, who is responsible for managing the president’s schedule, confirmed he knew Mazón was having lunch with journalist Maribel Vilaplana at ‘El Ventorro’ restaurant. He stated he arranged the meeting and knew the location. “I had him located,” Cuenca said, adding that he shares an apartment with the president in Valencia. He also stated no one contacted him that day to say Mazón was unreachable.
Cuenca explained he no longer has WhatsApp messages from that day because he changed phones in July and hadn’t backed up his data, resulting in the loss of approximately nine to ten months of messages. This detail emerged as investigators scrutinize communication records surrounding the disaster response.
Records show Mazón’s chief of staff called Pradas at 1:19 p.m. on October 29th, after a previous call at 12:53 p.m. went unanswered. The conversation concerned Pradas’ planned trip to the Ribera Alta region, where the flooding was most severe, and a request to inform the president, which she did in person.
Cuenca and Mazón learned of the red alert activation on the morning of October 29th while en route to the Palau de la Generalitat, the regional government palace. Mazón then instructed everyone to focus on their respective areas of responsibility.
Cuenca decided not to alter the president’s schedule because the planned events were in Valencia, and both the State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) and official channels predicted the storm would move north around 6:00 p.m.
Details of Communication
Cuenca spoke with Pradas again at 4:48 p.m., after the Cecopi had been convened for 5:00 p.m., to gather more information. She informed him that a Situation 2 alert had been declared in Utiel, the Military Emergency Unit (UME) had been mobilized, and the Cecopi had been activated.
He called her again at 4:56 p.m. to inquire about traveling to Utiel by car, hoping to join the president for an initial assessment. Pradas advised against it, stating even the UME was facing access difficulties.
Cuenca then informed Mazón via WhatsApp that the Cecopi meeting was starting, the situation in Utiel was worsening, and recommended the president travel there after the emergency management meeting. Mazón responded, “okay,” and said he would discuss it with Pradas.
Cuenca and Pradas exchanged further WhatsApp messages regarding the possibility of “confining” the population due to a dam at risk of failure, but Cuenca did not discuss the Es-Alert emergency messaging system with either Pradas or Mazón; he learned of it when he received the alert on his phone.
At 7:41 p.m., Mazón called Cuenca to ask for his location and requested he proceed to the Emergency Coordination Center in l’Eliana, where the Cecopi was meeting, once he returned to Valencia. They spoke again between 10:00 and 10:30 p.m. using the phone of Josep Lanuza, an external advisor to the president.
