The Generalitat Valenciana has raised to 155 the number of deaths following the devastating passage of the DANA in the province of Valencia, according to the latest balance provided by the Emergency Coordination Center. The situation, considered one of the biggest natural disasters in the recent history of Spain, has led the authorities to activate a Multiple Victims Procedure to manage the recovery and recognition of the bodies. Since late Tuesday, the Integrated Operational Coordination Center (CECOPI) has coordinated the efforts of the security forces and emergency services in the affected areas. At the same time, the Institute of Legal Medicine of Valencia has mobilized nine forensic teams to work on the ground to carry out the recovery and examination of the deceased. This procedure has been established as the top priority in the operation, with the support of the duty judges and security forces, who have been in charge of logistics and the delegation of tasks to expedite the process. For the transfer of the bodies, a space has been set up in the basement of the City of Justice of Valencia, which will serve as a temporary base to carry out autopsies and begin the process of identifying the victims.
National mourning
In recognition of the impact of this tragedy, the Government has decreed three days of national mourning, a measure which was published in the Official State Gazette and signed by King Felipe VI. Flags will fly at half-mast as a sign of mourning in all official buildings and Navy ships, honoring the victims and expressing solidarity with the affected families in Valencia, Castilla-La Mancha and Andalusia, the communities most affected by this climatic catastrophe.
