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The fourteen firefighters from Malaga province who have been sent as volunteers to Valencia to help with the rescue work say they have never seen a disaster of such magnitude as the one the 'Dana' storm has left in its wake. "I have attended several catastrophes, such as the earthquake in Lorca and the volcano in La Palma, but this is the worst I have seen and I think I will see in my life," said the commander in charge of the contingent, Salvador Olías, speaking SUR.
From the so-called 'ground zero' of the emergency, the fire officer from Malaga spoke to this newspaper by phone. He did so during a brief break the team took to recover, especially emotionally, after their first hours intervening at the epicentre of the tragedy. "This feels like a war," Olías said. He explained that lifeless bodies continue to appear in vehicles, homes, and businesses. "Everyone is in shock, devastated."
The number of people confirmed dead by Thursday afternoon had already risen to 155 in Valencia. And the forecast is that the figure will continue to rise as the work of the rescue services progresses. This is what Olías told this newspaper a few minutes before his team began to enter "a completely flooded subway". He said that he was sure that they would find victims who were trapped in the underpass.
The firefighters departed from the Antequera and Estepona fire stations at around 11pm on Wednesday and, for now, have no return date. They will initially be in Valencia until Monday morning, although their return may be postponed, depending on how the situation develops over the next few days. "The emergency services here are overwhelmed, both local and those coming from outside," said Olías.
Despite the distress, the firefighters deployed to Valencia arrived with a strong determination to help. And even more so, knowing that "some people have lost everything." So much so that, as the officer explained, they decided not to stop working on their first night. "There’s work here that will take months, and for as long as we're here, we won’t stop to sleep unless we're completely exhausted; seeing this situation, we feel obligated to give 200 per cent of ourselves," he said.
To do this, the contingent has a rural pump type vehicle, three light
vehicles and a command unit, as well as the most advanced technological means available for victim search and rescue. These resources could be crucial in locating both injured and deceased people. "We have brought three drones, one with a thermal camera that can help locate residents by measuring the temperature, and two others that are smaller but very useful, for example, to fly them into buildings to assess their condition or check if anyone is inside," said Olías.
Similarly, he explained that they have brought in specialised sound equipment designed to locate people within collapsed structures. "They are the latest in technology and can detect sounds of very low frequency." In this regard, the firefighter took pride in the fact that the consortium has spared no expense in providing its most advanced resources for the operation in Valencia, where they are essential. "We are the human element, but without this equipment, it would be impossible to work at the pace we’re managing," he added.
Along with Olías, firefighters Juan Luis Moreno, Rafa Salas, Alex Córdoba, Antonio Villa, Javi López, Germinal Fernández, Juan Antonio Cisneros, Rafael Heredia, Juan Luis de la Cerda, David Pavón, Antonio Clavero, Jair Pereira and Juan Antonio Blanco have travelled from Malaga to Valencia.
They are not the only ones who volunteered. A total of 38 personnel expressed their intention to join the contingent to alleviate as far as possible the disasters caused by the Dana. They are a sign of the solidarity of the Malaga firefighters, which always comes to the fore in the face of the worst emergencies.
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