Costa Blanca

Earthquake drill about to start in Torrevieja

Torrevieja is conducting an earthquake exercise today, Friday March 21st. Federico Alarcón, Councillor for Security and Emergencies, proclaimed that the city is conducting this drill to “be prepared in case something similar happens again, God forbid,” concomitant with the tragedy that occurred in 1829 as a result of an earthquake that impacted the entire Vega Baja region. Additionally, the councillor underscores the significance of “mutual understanding” among all agencies involved in an emergency situation, such as an earthquake. Efficient mitigation necessitates the manner in which those who are required to respond to a catastrophe do so. In reality, this exercise will involve a variety of entities, including the Red Cross, Civil Guard, Civil Protection, Local Police, SAMU (National Emergency Management Service), and firefighters.

The earthquake exercise will be conducted in three phases, as per Tomás Jesús Gallardo, the head of the Torrevieja Main Fire Station. The initial phase, “phase 0”, will involve a seismic alert. During this period, a Municipal Operational Coordination Centre (CECOPAL) will be established to determine whether the municipality’s schools should be evacuated in the event of “the imminent occurrence of a hypothetical earthquake”. The intervening bodies will concentrate on resolving the situation in the second phase, with a particular emphasis on the Sports Palace and the Las Lagunas Secondary School. Lastly, the “normalisation phase” will involve a press conference to provide an update on the seismic event, the response, and its repercussions.

The Councillor for Security and Emergencies emphasised that this is merely an exercise, as numerous residents mistakenly contact emergency services during these drills, believing them to be genuine emergencies. Indeed, Torrevieja is scheduled to host the weekly Friday market during the exercise, which commences at 9:30 a.m. Federico Alarcón says that the exercise will not encounter any difficulties due to this market. He also stated that it is advantageous that the potential earthquake does not occur at a time that is convenient for all parties involved.

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Related Topics:Emergency Local Market National Police Torrevieja

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21 expensive cars that were stolen in the U.S. were found Valencia port

Together with the US Container Security Initiative, the Guardia Civil and the Tax Agency found 21 high-end cars that were stolen in the U.S. and were on their way to Africa in the port of Valencia. The cars, which were worth a total of €1.1 million, were reported stolen and were being moved in containers.

The cars were stolen in the U.S. and were on their way to different places in Africa, stopping in Valencia’s port. Risk analysis units made up of Guardia Civil and Tax Agency officers were able to find several packages that might not have had the goods that were claimed to have been inside.

With the help of the information gathered, it was confirmed that stolen cars that had been in Valencia on their way to the United States had actually arrived. The groups that ship stolen cars either traded legally declared cars for stolen ones or directly declared the stolen cars as other goods, like furniture or mattresses.

In the past few weeks, 21 vehicles have been found and will be sent back to their home countries to be given to their original owners.

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Costa Blanca

14 immigrants were saved on a boat 45 miles off the coast of Alicante

On Wednesday, 2nd April, the Maritime Rescue ship Salvamar Leo saved 14 immigrants who were travelling in a boat about 45 miles from Alicante.

In the middle of the afternoon on Wednesday, Maritime Rescue sent out its Helimer 223 helicopter and the Salvamar Leo, which is based in Alicante, to save the people on a small boat.

Their journey began on the Salvamar Leo, which took them to the Temporary Assistance Centre for Foreigners in the port of Alicante. There, the Red Cross took care of them.

The Red Cross says that all of the refugees they saved were men, and two of them were younger than 15 years old. They were all healthy after being treated.

The National Police took over the refugees after getting help from the Red Cross. They are now trying to find the boat’s captain so they can arrest him, as is normal in these situations.

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Costa Blanca

Dénia wrestler arrested in connection with a network that smuggled 300 kilos of cocaine from Ecuador

The National Police’s Drugs and Organised Crime Unit arrested a famous mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter from Dénia. He was part of a gang that was partly broken up in August over a shipment of 300 kg of cocaine from Ecuador that came into the port of Valencia. The fighter from Dénia is one of five people who were caught by police. Along with nine other gang members who were already in jail at the time, they are now in jail.

The man who was arrested in Dénia is thought to be the trusted man of the gang’s leader, who is also an MMA fighter, and the person who is said to have worked as a go-between in the operation.

Levante-EMV also says that the broken-down network is linked to another shipment of 490 kg of cocaine that came into the port of Valencia in April of last year.

The five people who were just caught went before Valencia’s Investigative Court No. 20 yesterday, April 3rd.