Carlos Mazón orders Valencia ministers to flood media with data during deadly storm

On the morning of 29 October 2024, as the catastrophic storm (dana) ravaged the Valencia region and left 230 dead, President Carlos Mazón used a WhatsApp group with his cabinet to direct officials to “inundar de datos a los medios”. He told the consellers of Education, Health and Social Services to supply continual updates, arguing that detailed information would calm the public.

Mazón’s messages, timestamped around 08:17, instructed each minister to report on school closures, leaks in health centres and the status of social‑service facilities. After the early‑morning briefing, Mazón stopped responding to the group and was absent for the rest of the day, while his ministers continued to report road closures, a train incident that trapped ten passengers, and the flooding of an ITV inspection station. The WhatsApp logs also show that Conseller Salomé Pradas declared a level‑1 emergency for the Ribera Alta area and later upgraded hydraulic alerts for the Magro River and Pollo ravine.

The conversation has become part of the ongoing investigation into Mazón’s handling of the disaster, alongside scrutiny of Conseller Pradas, who is also under investigation.