Emilio Argüeso, autonomic emergency secretary of the Government of Carlos Mazón during the Dana E, warned the Generalitat of the gravity of the catastrophe early in the afternoon of October 29. “The ravines are about to collapse,” he wrote at 14.44 hours of the Aciaga Day in an internal chat of the Autonomous Executive, according to an expert report of his telephone to which the country has had access. The document has been contributed by Argüeso to the head of the Court of Instruction number 3 of Catarroja (Valencia), Nuria Ruiz Tobarra, which criminally investigates the flood.
In a WhatsApp group entitled Department of Social Services of Equality and Housing, after warning of the risk of overflowing the ravines, the exalted position receives a response from the number two Mazón, Vice President Susana waiter. “JOPE. If you need anything you tell us (sic).” Half an hour before, Argüeso has reported in the messaging application the drift that the cold drop acquires: “I am in Carlet (Valencia, 16,141 inhabitants), the thing is getting very ugly”, “it is raining with a lot of intensity and electrical apparatus,” says another of its texts.
In addition to addressing the thrombus, in the chat there is also space for humor. “I have forgotten the oars, but I carry manguitos floats !!!
Despite the magnitude of the tragedy, another Consell leader shares at 17.37 hours a teletype of a strike called by CC. Oo. to claim improvements in social services. When this message is published in the group, the Poyo ravine, trigger for the catastrophe, has already overflowed in populations such as Chiva or Cheste and 112, the Telephone Device of the Generalitat, begins to collapse with dozens of calls of despair of missing or trapped in low floors and garages.
At 9:35 p.m., when the deceased accumulate, Vice President waiter writes in the group: “There is a lot of danger with the reservoir. Who lives x there that climbs to the top. That people do not leave home and protect themselves (sic).”
Another of the expert report chats collects the conversations between the number two emergency and his boss, which is also charged. “Have you talked to Catalá?” Asks the latter in allusion a surname that coincides with that of the mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá, of the PP. Argüeso replies that yes. “It does not close schools,” he adds. “Perfect okk (sic),” concludes the former counselor.
Pradas indicates to his second at 16.51 in the afternoon: “I know you are full, but I just called Pepe Forés [alcalde de Llombai]is with mayors of the area. They have to climb 15 km to be able to talk on the phone. No electricity, water etc. It tells me that there is a lot of chaos because they do not have J training due to lack of information. They do not know if more rains are expected or if there is forecast to restore electricity etc (sic). ”
Although the transfer of messages reveals that the Valencian government dome knew the severity of the Dana from noon, the Generalitat no, when there were already dozens of missing people, killed and trapped in garages and low floors of Valencian populations such as Catarroja, Paiporta or Benetússer. The counselor Justice acknowledged that he did not know the existence of the message system to telephones It is allerT that, according to the judge who instructs the investigations, would have been key to minimize the impact of the tragedy. The instructor argues that the letter was late and her confusing text.
The magistrate charged on March 10, Argüeso and Pradas for the alleged crimes of reckless injury and homicides, which are punished between four and three years in jail, respectively. Both, which were dismissed by Mazón four weeks after the cold drop, will declare as investigated this Friday in the city of Justice of Valencia.
