The Kings meet with those affected by the fire in Campanar and the extinguishing services

"Let us not forget," the neighbors say at the end of their meeting with Felipe VI and Letizia

VALENCIA, 26 Feb. (EUROPA PRESS) -

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia traveled to Valencia this Monday afternoon where they met with a representation of residents of the two buildings affected by the fire last Thursday in the Campanar neighborhood, which left ten victims. fatalities and hundreds of people who have been left homeless, and with members of all services who have participated in the extinction work and in the support device.

A few minutes after 5:45 p.m., the Kings arrived at the Palau de la Música in València - a few meters from the hotel where some of the relocated residents are - to hold a meeting with several of those affected.

Upon their arrival, Their Majesties were received by the 'president' of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón; the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Diana Morant; the president of Les Corts Valencianes, Llanos Massó; the representative of the Government in the Valencian Community, Pilar Bernabé; the mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá, and the president of the Diputación de Valencia, Vicent Mompó.

This Sunday, King Felipe VI dedicated "a memory full of emotion" to the victims of the fire, as well as the injured, their families and loved ones, during his speech at the official dinner of the Mobile World Congress (MWC), which is being held in Barcelona.

The monarch was "shocked" by what happened and wanted to begin his speech by remembering those affected by the incident. "The mourning of all of Valencia is the mourning of all of Spain," he said, while announcing his visit to Valencia, together with Queen Letizia, to share with the Valencians their mourning and his pain, he added verbatim.

According to sources from the Royal Family, with this visit the monarchs want to express their support for those affected by the fire and will also hold a meeting with the emergency services that participated in extinguishing the fire and caring for the victims of the incident.

For his part, Mazón thanked the Kings for their visit this Monday and valued the "extraordinary sensitivity" of Felipe VI by taking an interest in the situation of the fire "from minute one", as other regional presidents have done. .

After the meeting with the Kings, which lasted more than an hour, several neighbors insisted that they had been conveyed a common request: "Let us not forget." "Don't let a few months go by, you forget about us and everything remains silent here," they said.

Likewise, Felipe VI has promised to convey his demands to the central government to promote different aid, since those affected agree that the cost of the fire "cannot be assumed personally": "This is great for us."

Among their requests, they have highlighted the desire to "reconstruct the building" to move back into it, since they have maintained that both the relocation to the hotel and the housing enabled by the Valencia City Council are "something temporary."

The neighbors have highlighted that the visit of the Kings has been "comforting" and have highlighted that, although it was initially planned that three people would act as spokespersons representing those affected, Felipe VI "has skipped the protocol" and " has been asking each one about their individual case.

One of the neighbors, Alexandra, stressed that the "atmosphere" of the meeting "was not formal." "Everyone was very calm, the Kings greeted us, they encouraged us and each person had the opportunity to say something to the King."

He stressed that the meeting has served for the Kings to convey "their support" and "listen to them", and they have even "hugged" some neighbors. "I have told my problem, for example. I am a foreigner and we have a problem with our documents or passports. He told us that it is complicated, but he delegated it to another girl who gave me her phone number, and I have to call her and ask for help ", he pointed out.

Nancy, another of the neighbors affected by the fire, explained to journalists that the meeting took place in an informal atmosphere in which everyone was "very calm." "They greeted us, they encouraged us and each person had the opportunity to say something to the King," she said.

This meeting, this neighbor has reported, has served to receive the "support" of the Kings and to be able to "listen to them." "For example, I am from another country. Here you can be with a king, it is incredible," she said, and highlighted that the meeting helped her get a telephone number where she could ask for help to renew her documentation.

VISIT TO CAMPANAR

After the meeting with the neighbors at the Palau de la Música, the Kings traveled to the burnt-out buildings in Campanar, where they were received by members of the firefighting and emergency services, psychosocial teams and volunteers who helped. to those affected in recent days.

Felipe VI and Letizia arrived at ground zero of the fire at seven in the afternoon, accompanied by the rest of the authorities. Everyone has greeted one by one members of all the services that have participated in the device, such as Local Police, Firefighters of Valencia and the Provincial Consortium, National Police and the unit attached to the Generalitat, Military Emergency Unit (UME), 1 ·1·2, Emergencies, Institute of Legal Medicine, Red Cross, judges and lawyers from the administration of Justice, Victim Assistance Office, technicians from the City Council, social services, property registrars, Valientes center and volunteers who helped in the first moment of the fire.

Subsequently, a 'corrillo' was formed with Felipe VI and Letizia in the center, surrounded by the troops. For about ten minutes, both of them spoke a few words and received applause and ovation from the citizens who wanted to come closer to contemplate this moment, located meters away.

At the end of the Kings' words to the troops, both stayed talking with those responsible for the services such as the chief inspector of the Fire Department of the Valencia City Council, Enrique Chisbert, without stopping looking up at the two at all times. charred blocks of houses.

The event concluded when Felipe VI and Letizia briefly approached the citizens gathered in Campanar and said goodbye to the rest of the authorities. Already in the car, the monarch greeted the press and print media from inside.