Minister of Interior Affairs of Valencia Dismissed After Severe Floodings

valencia - Regional President Carlos Mazón of Valencia, the region most affected by the devastating floods three weeks ago, has dismissed the regional Minister of Justice and Interior Affairs, Salomé Pradas, due to negligence in taking preventive measures before the storm and subsequent floods.

Pradas faced criticism in recent weeks for failing to take necessary actions leading up to the storm and subsequent floods that hit the region on October 29, despite her responsibilities for emergency situations in the region. Mazón, upon announcing the dismissal, did not mention that the minister had openly admitted to being unaware of the existence of a warning system, but instead praised her 'great work' as a minister and her 'political generosity'.

Only after 20 hours, alerts were sent out to mobile phones, hours after the roads in the region had turned into raging rivers. Pradas later admitted that she only learned about the existence of the so-called 'ES-Alert' warning system on the night of the disaster.

The floods have claimed the lives of at least 228 people so far, with 220 bodies recovered in the Valencia region alone. Eight others perished in other regions, and eight individuals are still missing. The damage is currently estimated at a minimum of 9.3 billion euros.

In the aftermath of the catastrophe, massive protests erupted while Mazón's regional government and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's central government in Madrid are in dispute over the responsibility for rescue and cleanup efforts post-disaster. Mazón indicated his intention to stay in office and stated that the government reshuffle after the disaster has been completed with the dismissal of two ministers.