Municipal technicians review structure of building in Badalona ahead of demolition
105 residents have been evacuated as fire fighters assess damages
fire-fighters
Fire in l’Hospitalet apartment building kills three
A woman, a three-year-old child, and a baby are the victims
Relatives of Germanwings flight victims receive assistance at Barcelona El Prat Airport
Barcelona El Prat has been the main centre in Catalonia for assisting the relatives of the passengers flying on the Germanwings aircraft between the Catalan airport and Düsseldorf that crashed in the Alps this morning. 150 people were on board and, most likely, there will not be any survivors, according to French authorities. Teams of psychologists, social workers and first responders, from the Catalan Government, the Red Cross and professional associations have been deployed at Terminal 2. Lufthansa, the owner of Germanwings, attended more than 150 relatives and booked nearby hotels to host them during the upcoming days. The flight was regularly used by Germans working in Catalonia as well as by tourists. A group of 16 German high school students was on board, after spending an exchange week in the Greater Barcelona area. At least 31 Catalans were also travelling to Düsseldorf on this flight, many of them to attend a trade fair. Catalan authorities have declared 3 official days of mourning.
Severe floods in the north-western Catalan Pyrenees
The ice melting from the mountain tops and the heavy rain episodes of the last 24 hours have caused flooding of the Garonne, Noguera Pallaresa, Noguera de Cardós and other rivers in the mountain counties of the Val d’Aran, Pallars Sobirà, Alta Ribagorça and north of Pallars Jussà. More than 300 people have been evacuated from their homes in flooded or at risk areas. No victims or missing people have been reported, but material damage is considerable. Bridges have been swallowed by the waters and some roads have partially collapsed since the land beneath them has been swept away by the flood. Road access to the Val d’Aran County was closed as a precaution. Rain is expected to continue during the night and the reservoirs are overflowing because they have reached their maximum capacity.
Catalonia: pioneer in security for firemen
Brand new technology could be of great service to Catalan fire-fighters in the near future. It would monitor vital signs made by fire-fighters working in emergency situations
The Dutch trekker who was lost in the Pyrenees is found dead
A 52-year-old Dutch man went missing last night while trekking near Espot in the Catalan Pyrenees. Catalan fire fighters have found his dead body this afternoon.