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Judge Finds Valencia Flood Deaths Began Before Cecopi Met

She cites the region’s legal duty to track barranco flows to justify new evidence demands.

Overview

  • An order from Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra says drownings linked to Poyo tributaries occurred around 16:45–17:30 on 29 October 2024, overlapping with the 17:00 start of the Cecopi meeting.
  • The ruling notes no documented flow monitoring of key barrancos despite the Special Flood Plan assigning that responsibility to the Generalitat’s Emergencies department.
  • University-backed hydrological analysis concludes early runoff from the Horteta and Gallego subbasins likely reached l’Horta Sud first, with the most intense inputs between 17:00 and 20:00.
  • The court has requested raw, unedited video from a production company after learning of additional recordings tied to then-consellera Salomé Pradas, and plans to question an adviser who filmed at the emergency center.
  • The investigation highlights the withdrawal of forest firefighters before the overflow and unresolved issues over deploying environmental agents, as witness hearings continue in a case that counts 229 fatalities.