Valencia chief Carlos Mazón admits flood mistakes but defies calls to quit

Spain's under-fire regional leader Carlos Mazón defies calls for his resignation after last month's deadly floods.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatchHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS ElectionUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthVideoLiveAudioWeatherNewslettersValencia chief admits flood mistakes but defies calls for resignationEPA-EFE/REX/ShutterstockThe sludge after the 29 October flood remains in Paiporta and Carlos Mazón has faced calls to resignValencia's under-fire leader Carlos Mazón has conceded mistakes were made on the day that floods overwhelmed his region but said it was down to two government agencies that people were not given enough warning.

More than 220 people lost their lives when areas of Spain were hit by floods on 29 October, and most of the fatalities were in Mazón's eastern coastal region.

Valencia's conservative leader ignored calls for his resignation during his first appearance before the regional parliament since the floods.

He has been widely criticised for spending much of the afternoon having lunch with a journalist rather than focusing on Valencia's response to the rapidly developing crisis.

No alert was sent to residents in the region until 20:11 on the Tuesday, by which time the floods had already reached the congested V31 highway known as the Pista de Silla in the Valencia suburbs.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5ymd64317ro

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