Colombian tells how he miraculously survived DANA: “I was mounted on a tree for five hours”

Stories continue to be heard of the terrible catastrophe that has left more than 200 dead, including a Colombian, and hundreds of other missing people in the Valencian Community due to DANA.

>>> You may also be interested in: They search for life under the mud and debris by DANA in Valencia, Spain

Daniel Baliz, a man from Santander, was left in the middle of the flood and told Vanguardia how he managed to survive the disaster.

“It was very terrible since I spent five hours mounted on a tree. I was delivering a route and it happens that the van is swept away by the water, I manage to get out and get on the roof of the van, it hits a tree and I manage to hold on. That hold was terrible, I manage to climb the tree and the water starts to rise, rise. Nothing could be seen, only lightning. “I am telling this as a miracle,” said Baliz.

The man added that after the DANA, when “the water goes down, some guys come out of a ship, from some polygons, and start yelling at me that the water was calmer and When I get down from the tree the water reaches my navel and I start walking slowly.”

Days after the tragedy, Baliz says that “now I am with a neighborhood foundation carrying food” for the victims. “We are a group of more than 100 cyclists who We are carrying food and water. You can’t drive a car through the streets because they are full of mud.”

Finally, the man from Santander made a request to the National government: “That give information access points to Colombians “who are trapped in the towns of the Valencian Community.”

The luck that Daniel Baliz suffered in saving his life was not the case of his compatriot Nelson Quijano, 59, who had traveled to Valencia, with his wife, two months ago to enjoy a vacation and reunite with a son he had not seen. for three years.

Bumangués became the first and, to date, only Colombian reported as deceased during DANA. However, there are 32 missing nationals.

Colombian government announced aid for compatriots affected by the passage of Dana in Spain

Foreign Minister Luis Gilberto Murillo said that there will be some aid for compatriots who wish to return to the country.

“I have given the instruction to be able to allocate resources from the migration fund so that we can respond to people who want to return or people who have been impacted in their homes. All the passports required by people who have been victims of this natural event will be issued free of charge,” said Chancellor Murillo.

The Foreign Ministry also assured that “the Colombian Consulate in Valencia, in collaboration with Colombian associations, has established three collection points for the receipt of aid. They have already been delivered nearly 300 liters of water to the population of Alfafar, one of the most affected and “The Consulate will visit Alfafar, Chiva, Sedavi, Buñol and Catarroja to distribute food and water to approximately 100 families.”

>>> You can also read: Nelson Quijano, a Colombian killed by DANA in Spain, had never left the country