Spanish judge flags emergency call on Poyo river flood as critical moment

Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra ruled that the alert by Torrent mayor Amparo Folgado to the regional emergency secretary Emilio Argüeso about the overflow of the Horteta ravine, a tributary of the Poyo river, constitutes a “critical moment” in the legal investigation of the catastrophic flood of 29 October 2024. The flood, which caused 230 deaths, prompted a phone call lasting two minutes and four seconds, which the judge accepted as credible evidence of the situation in Torrent.

The judge noted that the defense’s expert report failed to identify the caller’s number, and that Argüeso’s testimony omitted any reference to the call. She rejected the defense’s request for a direct confrontation (careo) with the mayor, stating the call’s content was clear and corroborated by other testimonies, including that of UME commander Salvador Romón and statements from Valencia’s deputy president Vicente Mompó. The ruling affirms the relevance of the mayor’s warning in the broader inquiry into the emergency response on the day of the disaster.