pallars jussà

Floods disappear in the Catalan Pyrenees but leave significant material damage and supply cuts

June 20, 2013 12:43 AM | CNA

Many of the 300 people evacuated in the Val d’Aran County will have to spend a second night out of their homes to rule out any risk. The task of verifying that houses do not have structural damage is slow and the people’s return will be gradual, starting on Thursday. After rivers in the Western Catalan Pyrenees overflowed on Tuesday, by Wednesday water levels had considerably lowered showing the damage created by the floods. Three bridges had been destroyed and some road stretches had collapsed since the ground beneath them was swept away by the water. In addition, many houses and shops had been flooded. Water supply has been interrupted in some areas since some pipes broke. Partial power and gas supply interruptions also occurred but the service was almost entirely restored by Wednesday evening.

Severe floods in the north-western Catalan Pyrenees

June 19, 2013 12:44 AM | CNA

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.

A new primate species from 35 million years ago discovered in northern Catalonia

May 29, 2013 10:59 PM | CNA / Pedro Javier Armengou

The new species has been named “Nievisia sossiensis” and has been discovered by researchers at the Catalan Paleontology Institute. Described as a small primate that weighed between 100 and 150 grams and lived in the Eocen epoch, the remains have been found at the archeological site of Sossís near the town of Conca de Dalt (Lleida Pyrenees). The research has been published this month in the international magazine ‘Journal of Human Evolution’, specialized in Paleolithic Archaeology and Primatology.

The Ministry of Defence will maintain the Pyrenees’ military academy of Talarn open

June 6, 2012 08:13 PM | Adrià Attardi

After some months of uncertainty about the future of this training centre in the Pyrenees, the Spanish Government confirmed that NCOs will be able to continue their studies in the academy, although its activity will be reduced. In the last few months, the Platform for the Pyrenees University presented some alternative uses for these facilities, with the objective of converting them into a civilian academic centre. Another platform, Acadèmia Sí, was created at the same time to fight for the maintenance of the military academy, as it is one of the key actors in the local economy.