Carlos Mazon's Driver Testifies in Court Regarding Tragic Flood

The interrogation of the driver who accompanied Carlos Mazon on the day of the disaster marks a pivotal moment in the investigation led by Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra. The witness testified that at 20:11, when the systemic alert Es-Alert reached the mobile phones of Valencia residents, the presidential car was still in central Valencia, not en route to the Cecopi command center as previously suggested. The driver also clarified that the president returned to his private home before 1:00 AM, shortly after the announcement of the first fatalities, while the crisis team deliberated until morning. The October 2024 flash flood, known as the DANA phenomenon, was one of the most tragic natural disasters in modern Spanish history, leading to enormous material losses and a crisis of trust in local authorities. This testimony contradicts the official chronology of events presented by the former president's entourage. Parallel to the judicial proceedings, a staffing crisis is growing in the structures responsible for security in Valencia. Raul Quilez, the Director General of Innovation in Emergency Situations, who had previously criticized the administration's actions in court, has resigned. The situation is complicated by the fact that the current regional government has just granted Carlos Mazon the right to use a personal driver as part of the privileges accorded to former presidents, which has met with sharp opposition from parties such as Compromis and PSPV. „The Es-Alert system was well known in the department even before the tragedy, which undermines previous claims of a lack of knowledge about this tool.” — Raul Quilez Against the backdrop of the political dispute, the Valencia parliament, with votes from the People's Party and Vox, rejected a motion to strip Mazon of his parliamentary mandate. The case has a profound social dimension, as the investigation reveals communication gaps between various ministries, including the lack of proposed specific protective measures for schools before the flood wave hit. 230 — people lost their lives as a result of the powerful flood in Valencia A further complication for the region has been Storm Pedro, which forced Adif to temporarily suspend rail connections between Valencia and Catalonia due to strong wind gusts, reminding residents of the still-unaddressed gaps in the crisis response system.