Search Operations Continue in Valencia's Flooded Parking Lot Amidst Uncertainty
The grim aftermath of severe flooding in Valencia is raising fears of potential casualties, yet authorities confirm that no bodies have been discovered in the underground parking lot of the Bonaire shopping center in Aldaia. Various Italian media outlets had fueled speculation, referring to the flooded area as a "submerged cemetery," implying a mass tragedy. However, recent searches have only revealed a few dozen cars, all unoccupied.
Reports indicate a tragic toll, with 214 confirmed dead across the Valencia Community, except for four individuals found in Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia. Despite this, the number of missing persons remains uncertain due to inaccessible basements, garages, and underground parking facilities. The Bonaire shopping center's parking lot, with a capacity of approximately 2500 vehicles, has become a focal point for search efforts.
As the operation continues, firefighters and the Emergency Military Unit have worked tirelessly to extract water and debris from the submerged parking lot. Despite using small boats and kayaks for initial inspections, only about fifty cars have been examined thoroughly, yielding no fatalities to date.
"We divided the search into sectors, broke the windows of vehicles, and probed the ground with poles but found no bodies," a volunteer firefighter from Logroño shared with El País. He expressed the emotional weight of the situation: "They said there were 600 dead here; imagine the sadness we felt as we entered the parking lot yesterday."
While speculation persists about possible fatalities, the lack of concrete data complicates the situation. The shopping center's management confirmed that there was no evidence suggesting workers were present in the parking area during the floods. Ángel Víctor Torres, Minister of Territorial Policy and Democratic Memory, acknowledged that there is still no definitive information regarding the number of vehicles or individuals in the lot during the incident.
The state of emergency remains in effect, with over 5,000 soldiers and 2,000 technicians deployed to assist local firefighting teams, volunteers, Guardia Civil agents, and police in navigating the aftermath of this natural disaster. Nearby, another smaller shopping center with flooded underground levels is also under investigation, but so far, only two empty vehicles have been unearthed.
As rescue operations proceed, the community anxiously anticipates clarity, hoping for answers amid the prevailing uncertainty and heartache.
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