President of Valencia's government Carlos Mazón admits 'there were things that should have been done better' on the 'dana' tragedy anniversary
He announced that Valencia's governing council has decreed 29 October an annual day of mourning in the three provinces of the region as a tribute to the victims
M. S.
Wednesday, 29 October 2025, 15:22
The first anniversary of the catastrophic floodings that claimed the lives of 229 people in the region of Valencia on 29 October 2024 has been acknowledged by president of the regional government (Generalitat) Carlos Mazón. During the ceremony honouring the victims, Mazón announced that the regional governing council has declared 29 October an annual day of mourning.
Following the tragedy, Mazón received intense criticism for failing to act promptly despite meteorological warnings for the extreme risk that the natural phenomenon posed. Since then, prosecutors have investigated him for possible manslaughter, omission of duty and negligence. For this reason, a large part of Spain's population protested against his participation in the tribute ceremony alongside the royal family and PM Pedro Sánchez.
During his separate speech, which took place a few hours before the state ceremony, Mazón admitted that "there were things that should have been done better" a year ago, which could be interpreted as implicit but vague self-criticism. He also acknowledged the "helplessness" felt by the victims on 29 October last year, although he has always blamed the central government for its alleged inaction in the most demanding moments of the disaster.
"Today, we are united by grief. A year ago, we lived through a devastating tragedy," he said, announcing that, from now on, 29 October will be marked as Día de Recuerdo a las Víctimas de la Dana (Day of Remembrance) in all three Valencian provinces. "The pain was and remains immense. So was the response," Mazón said.
He extended his gratitude to the people "who were on the front line" and stated that the day of mourning should not be commemorated with confrontation. "We tried to do our best. It was not enough in many cases and we must recognise that," he said.
"We want to reaffirm our determination to not leave anyone behind," Mazón stated, alluding to the importance of remembering the day.
