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112 Call Center Overrun by Record Volume and Technical Glitches, Worker Testifies

Joaquín A. described a backlog peaking at 150 queued calls alongside technical glitches that prolonged emergency response

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Imagen de archivo tomada en la sala de llamadas del 112 de la Comunidad Valenciana

Overview

  • Joaquín A. began his shift at 3 p.m. on October 29 and saw the call queue remain stuck at 150 lines without any drop throughout his eight-hour shift
  • The center registered nearly 20,000 calls that day, with a sharp surge after the Poyo stream overflowed at 16:40
  • Operators encountered hearing failures where victims either heard their own voice or experienced complete silence, forcing repeated redials
  • Staffing was ramped up to as many as 50 emergency operators and complementary hours were activated after the scale of the flood was underestimated
  • The investigation continues with further testimonies scheduled from the head of the Emergency Service on June 17 and other officials later in the week