THE majority of the 224 deaths in last October’s Valencia floods were elderly people according to figures obtained by the El Pais newspaper.

Almost half of the victims were over 70 years old while the highest percentage of deaths by age group (24%) were people aged between 80 and 89 years old.

Many fatalities occurred before an emergency phone alert was belatedly sent at 8.11pm on October 29.

DEVASTATION IN PAIPORTA

An investigating judge probing the handling of the disaster last week stated that the death toll would have been lower if the text message had been sent earlier.

A summary of figures recorded by the Data Integration Centre(CID) have been obtained by El Pais.

Homes and garages became the main death traps for the victims.

103 bodies were found on the ground floors of the homes as well as 35 in parking lots and businesses according to the CID.

Floods affected 78 towns in Valencia province with traditional village homes where the ground floors are used as housing and were flooded as well as a significant number of shops and businesses.

Meanwhile dozens of statements given to the investigating judge have been included in a 935-page report.

Examples include that of Francisco R., 74, a resident of Catarroja who went to his garage at 7pm to take out his car and did not return.

Nicasio C., from Massanasa did the same according to the report which stated: “At 6.15pm. he went with his wife to pick up the vehicle from the parking lot.”

Eugenio T., a 47-year-old policeman from Benetusser put on his uniform and tried to help some neighbours at 8pm but died. to the proceedings.

The reports confirm more cases of victims who lost their lives before the mass alert to mobile phones.

A 27-year-old woman called her mother, after disappearing at 7.30pm in the La Torre neighbourhood of Valencia.

She tells him that she is very scared, and that there is water ‘everywhere’ and that she is worried about the car.

The mother insisted that she forget about the vehicle and her daughter’s body was found a day later.

At 7.45pm, a woman reported the disappearance of her husband close to the Lidl supermarket in Benetusser.

At the same time, a mother and her son met in a flower shop in Catarroja.

A van floated by and they climbed onto the roof, with the mother being a non-swimmer subsequently dying.

A man with reduced mobility received several calls from family and friends at his Picanya home at 7pm and did not answer.

His body was found six days later in Catarroja, five kilometres from his house.