The residents of Block 8 of San Antón who were evacuated will be unable to retrieve their possessions upon their return. This was confirmed by Francisco Soler, the Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Urban Planning yesterday Thursday April 24th. The finalised technical reports have now determined that the staircase is the most problematic area, with evident collapse problems, despite its remote location. Consequently, no items can be recovered, although potential solutions are being investigated for specific cases through firefighter interventions, which allow for access to tiny items from balconies. The Governing Board has also approved the provisions for aid to the family units in the building at the same time.

Therefore, the sole viable option for entry is through premeditated interventions by firefighters, who “could enter to retrieve specific small items in a highly organised and timely manner, as the technical report is exceedingly explicit and the risk of collapse is genuine.” Some examples may include items that are indispensable, such as laptops, mobile phones, or medications. In any event, this will necessitate a case-by-case examination. However, it will not be a formula that can be employed to remove furniture or appliances from residences.

One line of 120,000 euros is designated for rent, while the other is for household items.
In terms of the aid that has been announced, a regional subsidy of €364,492 will be provided to all evicted households. However, there will be two options: one that is explicitly for tenants, and another that is general and can be used to purchase furniture, appliances, and clothing. A allocation of €120,000 will be allocated to each option, totalling €240,000. The City Council has provisionally funded hotel accommodation. Additionally, the cost of small furnishings, such as mattresses or box springs, that were required to be completed to provide emergency housing for the homes allocated by Pimesa (with provisional pre-contracts until the regular ones are formalised) to the owners, as well as the cost of two rentals from the end of the year, has been included. Depending on the circumstances, the financial allocation may be increased by €60,000.

Assistance is available to all individuals, including proprietors and tenants, as well as the six households that declined the City Council’s proposals—with whom there is no change—and individuals who were either squatting or in “precarious occupations.” Only the household that was residing in the property at the time of the eviction will be eligible in these unusual circumstances.

Each tenant family will be eligible for a maximum of 9,600 euros. Nevertheless, this benefit will not be provided to a family while they are residing in a housing resource provided by the City Council. They will be able to claim it once they have departed the municipal alternative and have secured their own housing. In terms of homeowner families, the majority of the homes that are yet to be occupied in the new apartments in the neighbourhood with these pre-contracts will receive a minimum of 600 euros and a maximum of 3,000 euros if they satisfy four criteria:

Evidence of insufficient financial resources to cover the expenses associated with the emergency situation. The family’s annual per capita income is limited to 100% of the current Iprem (Spanish National Income Tax).

The household must be registered in Elche and reside in the vacated residence for a minimum of six months.

Distribution among entities, residences in San Antón, and neighbourhoods

It is important to note that certain families are residing in homes that have been donated by the Conciénciate Foundation, Cáritas, and Un Abrazo de Luz, as they already have their own initiatives in place to address these situations. These families are homeowners, and as such, they are entitled to a residence in the new apartments in San Antón. Nevertheless, the new blocks in Pimesa were home to only 28 residences, which were owned by 31 families. Additionally, the City Council is presently only accepting two rentals for evicted tenants: one for a family in the Raval neighbourhood and another in a student residence. Additionally, as previously mentioned, the owners of the properties in Block 8 who had rented their residences will be eligible to purchase the future 45-unit building.

Families that declined the accommodation alternative

Lastly, Lastra emphasises that they are unable to take any further action in the instances where the City Council’s housing proposal was rejected. I am of the opinion that the City Council has more than adequately executed the emergency plan. He also notes that the circumstances were such that not everyone was able to select a rental location, regardless of whether it was in Carrús, Avenida de la Libertad, or near San Antón. He contends that resources were restricted for these alternatives. “What actions can we take?” I regret that the new block does not provide accommodation for all individuals. Nevertheless, they will be eligible for rental assistance.

Additionally, he contends that the distributions in other neighbourhoods of the city have been determined by the magnitude and vulnerability of each case. He contends that the City Council has provided a document for them to sign in order to substantiate the local government’s provision of the resources available at the time. Consequently, he contends that three householder families have been overlooked, as they have been assigned to apartments that are provided by social organisations.

A new contract for water surface cleaning services has been signed by the Port of Alicante, which includes a significant innovation in sustainability: the vessel responsible for these cleaning tasks is powered by electric propulsion.

This system is yet another illustration of the port’s environmental dedication, as it substantially mitigates the acoustic impact and polluting emissions that affect the port environment.

The primary vessel utilised for these tasks is outfitted with a 12-kilowatt continuous electric motor that has a propulsion capacity equivalent to a 25 HP combustion engine, thereby guaranteeing sustainable and efficient operation.

Two 48-5000 watt batteries and a 48-volt photovoltaic panel provide the Cruise 12.0 motor with an estimated autonomy of 10 hours of uninterrupted operation.

The Port of Alicante’s strategy of direct port activity towards a greener and more sustainable future is strengthened by the new contract for cleaning the water surface, which also enhances the efficacy of the service.

The Guardia Civil has verified that John George, a Belfast resident, was fatally shot on December 14th, and they have declared that their investigation into his murder has been finalised.
Guardia Civil officers have also appeared to rule out the possibility of additional arrests after revealing that the evidence they have gathered indicates that the two suspects were present with the 37-year-old victim at the time of his most recent communication with his father.

Jonny Smyth, the suspected murderer, was apprehended at an Airbnb in Braga, northern Portugal, on March 25th and subsequently extradited to Spain earlier this month.

The initial arrestee, a Czech national who has not been officially identified, is currently released on bond; however, he is still under investigation as an alleged accomplice.

Only the two arrests and the discovery of John’s body in Rojales, near Torrevieja on Spain’s Costa Blanca, were confirmed by detectives, who had been extremely reticent regarding their investigation.

Today, they announced their initial comprehensive comments regarding the case by releasing new video footage of property searches they conducted as part of their investigation and footage from the location in an orchard where the victim’s body was discovered.

Additionally, they stated that the primary suspect abandoned his two pet dogs when he departed Spain with his girlfriend in a hurry in order to elude capture, following John’s father Billy’s report of his disappearance.

According to a spokesperson for the Guardia Civil in Alicante, the investigation into the disappearance of a young Irish man in December of last year has been finalised. This follows the arrest of the alleged material author of the man’s homicide in Braga, Portugal, in April and the subsequent extradition of the individual.

“The victim’s body was discovered approximately two weeks after his father reported him missing, believing that he was in Benidorm visiting friends.”

The body was discovered in Rojales, near Torrevieja, by investigators who conducted a thorough investigation of the area due to their suspicion that the man’s disappearance was involuntary and that the crime associated with it may have been committed in the area.

“The two suspects had already been identified by the officers prior to the discovery.” On the same day that the body was discovered, one of them was apprehended.

The force spokesman stated that the police investigation commenced on December 21st when Mr. George reported his son missing after flying to Spain from Northern Ireland to search for him. He also stated that officers began a reconstruction of what could have happened from the moment the victim vanished after reaching Spain on December 6th.

“They contacted individuals who had been in contact with him since that day and interviewed witnesses.”

“The evidence they collected indicated that the deceased man was in the company of the two individuals who were identified as the primary suspects at the time of his last communication with his father.”

“The initial arrest was made a few hours after the body was discovered. The individual in question is a 32-year-old Czech national who resides in Torrevieja. He is suspected of being an accomplice and is currently out on bail.”

“The Guardia Civil continued its efforts to locate the second suspect, the individual who was suspected of being the perpetrator of the murder. Investigators have gathered information that the individual allegedly fled Spain after the homicide and after the police were informed of his disappearance.”

“He fled the country with his girlfriend in a hurry, leaving his two pet dogs at his residence on the Orihuela Costa on the Costa Blanca in order to evade capture.”

“The Guardia Civil requested the issuance of a European Arrest Warrant for him and the collaboration of other police forces through Interpol. He was apprehended in Portugal on March 25th and extradited to Spain on April 3rd.”

Officers have referred to Smyth as an individual who has “previous in his country of origin,” despite the fact that Spanish police did not formally identify him in an extensive statement.

It was not immediately apparent whether they were referring to his criminal record with convictions or his status as a person known to the police as a result of previous arrests.

In anticipation of an ongoing investigation conducted by a judge in Torrevieja, he has been remanded in detention.

The autopsy revealed that the victim died from gunshot wounds on the night of December 14th, the same day that the victim spoke with his father for the last time and a week before the father reported him missing, according to the Guardia Civil.

During a property search, the police removed tin foil-wrapped parcels from an air conditioning vent, as evidenced by the video footage released by the police force.

The footage did not immediately indicate which of the two suspects’ properties were being searched.

The defence attorney for the man who is being described as an alleged accomplice and the first individual to be apprehended has justified the decision to detain his client by referencing his “recent friendship” with Smyth.