On October 29, 2022, at precisely 20:11, Eva Canut, a 54-year-old woman, tragically lost her life during a flood. At that time, her daughter Andrea was just 19 years old. Eva was swept away by a wave caused by heavy rainfall, just 45 minutes before the ES-Alert notification was sent out. In honor of Eva and the 228 other victims in the Valencian Community, as well as the 237 fatalities across Spain, Andrea Ferrari Canut will serve as the voice for the grieving families at a state funeral scheduled for October 29, 2023, at 18:00. The event will be hosted by journalist Lara Síscar.
According to reports from Levante-EMV, Andrea will address attendees at the funeral, representing all families affected by the tragedy. Eva”s story is one of many where victims lost their lives due to the delayed and ineffective flood warning system. On the day of the incident, Eva typically commuted by train to her job in logistics, but on that fateful day, she accepted a ride from a colleague as the rain intensified and news of the overflowing river began to spread.
Unfortunately, both women ended up on the roof of the vehicle as they were overtaken by the surging water. Eva was reported missing until her body was discovered in the same area where she had sent a message to her family via WhatsApp. Days after the tragedy, relatives recalled how Eva had sent a video showing the rising water levels around the vehicle. She later called her husband to inform him that they were attempting to escape the car and find higher ground. Tragically, they were swept away by the floodwaters. While her colleague was found alive, albeit injured and in shock, Eva did not survive the ordeal.
The state funeral is expected to draw attendance from high-ranking officials, including the kings of Spain, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, and the presidents of the Congress, the Senate, the Constitutional Court, and the Supreme Court. Invitations have also been extended to the leaders of all autonomous communities, especially those where fatalities occurred during the flood, including the president of the Valencian Community, Carlos Mazon, as Valencia suffered the highest number of casualties, as well as Emiliano García-Page from Castilla-La Mancha and Juanma Moreno Bonilla from Andalusia.
However, the presence of Carlos Mazon has raised concerns among flood victim associations. They have publicly expressed their disapproval of his attendance, stating he is “not welcome.” Should he attend, they hope he refrains from approaching the families of the deceased. Reports indicate that some families of the victims are already considering boycotting the state funeral, primarily due to Mazon”s expected presence, which they associate with the responsibility for their loved ones” deaths.
