Valencia. "That parking lot is a cemetery": the dramatic testimony of divers who explored the flooded depths of the Bonaire shopping center, just outside Valencia. The sudden and violent flood transformed the vast underground parking lot, with its 5.700 spaces, into a death trap.
Hundreds of people, caught in the flood while shopping or relaxing in movie theaters, were trapped in the maze of flooded corridors.
According to the first testimonies reported by El Diario, the water rose rapidly, reaching levels never seen before. Many customers, alarmed, tried to reach their cars, but were forced to turn back in the face of the fury of the water that invaded every space.
The decision to evacuate the mall came too late for many people, who were trapped in the now-submerged underground parking lot.
“It is impossible to quantify the number of those who may be trapped down there,” a rescue spokesman said. The recovery of bodies is still ongoing, but the images and testimonies of divers paint a bleak picture: submerged cars, debris carried by the current and, unfortunately, an unknown number of victims.
Meanwhile, the local community is shocked by this tragedy. The shops, restaurants and cinemas that only a few hours earlier were bustling with life, are now places of mourning and grief.
The authorities are investigating the causes of the flood and any responsibilities, while the entire population is rallying around the families of the victims.”
