President Petro says that there are 32 Colombians missing after DANA in Valencia, Spain

President Gustavo Petro assured, on social network X, that the DANA tragedy in Valencia, Spain, has affected hundreds of Colombians. It confirmed the death of one and the disappearance of 32 compatriots.

>>> DANA in Valencia, live: deaths rise to 205 as the phenomenon moves to other regions

“In Valencia, Spain, there are nearly 100,000 Colombians living, there are 32 missing and 1 dead. “There are hundreds of Colombians incommunicado, without electricity, water and food, along with dozens of families who lost housing and belongings.”wrote the head of state.

The 32 Colombians would be the first official number of missing people that has been reported due to the tragedy caused by DANA, which already leaves 205 dead. The storm moves to five other regions of the Iberian country.

For now it has been confirmed that a compatriot is among the fatalities. It is about Nelson Quijano, 59 years old.

It was the first time that the Bumangués left the country and traveled to Spain to reunite with his son, whom he had not seen for three years.. The young man, who lives in Valencia, had bought the tickets from him. He was going to stay there for about three months.

Carlos Quijano, brother of the fatal victim, told Noticias Caracol en vivo that when he called his sister-in-law “she answered that my nephew was with the authorities looking at the damage that had been caused” and the authorities confirmed that Nelson he had drowned.

The family now asks helps the embassy to cover his father’s funeral expenses in Spainwhere he was only two months.

For his part, President Petro ordered “to prepare for massive requests for returns to Colombia and humanitarian aid.” However, he said that “The Foreign Ministry’s Special Fund for Migrations, which is intended for emergencies, is at zero.”.

Therefore, he urged “that it be sent to the consultation room of the Council of State if the disaster declaration can cover nationals who suffer a natural disaster abroad “if they want to return.”

President Gustavo Petro added that both at the Colombian embassy in Spain and at the consulate in Valencia “we have a command post and we coordinate all the aid.”

Precisely, the consulate enabled an email and a telephone line for the victims and their families: [email protected]; ([email protected]); +34 696 84 64 69. The consul in Valencia, Gillian Maghmud, asked to contact the latter via WhatsApp.

The Colombian authorities reported that they will provide relocation or shelter assistance to Colombians who need it, who will also be given emergency documentation in case they have lost papers. They could receive ordinary, emergency or exempt passports.

The number of deaths from the storm in eastern Spain increased to 205, of which 202 are already in the province of Valencia, as reported this Friday, November 1, by the Emergency Center of the Generalitat Valenciana (regional government).

In addition to those who died in Valencia, there were two deaths in the region of Castilla-La Mancha and one in Andalusia. A large number of deaths in Valencia corresponds to the town of Paiporta (62 according to the latest data provided), and The bodies on which the autopsy has already been performed and have been identified are arriving at the pavilion set up at the Valencia Fairgrounds, where they are being kept before being handed over to the families.

The procedure that has been established is that, once the bodies have been identified, the courts will contact from today the relatives who have reported their disappearances to notify them of the death and issue the documentation that will allow their funeral homes or insurance companies to attend. to the fairgrounds to take care of the bodies.

The Army is arriving this Friday to the municipalities of the province most affected by the floods to help clear streets and accesseswhile the authorities have asked to avoid movements of individuals to the area who want to collaborate because collapses are occurring.

JOSE JORDAN/AFP