Fuente-Tójar denies having refused municipal machinery to those affected by the flood

The mayor of Fuente-Tójar, Mari Fe Muñoz, has denied that the Town Council refused to lend cleaning machinery to the residents affected by the floods of Saturday, October 17. Muñoz assures that the Council did not receive any request to provide machinery and that, therefore, it did not reject any request of this kind. According to the mayor, the Town Council offered to help the people who suffered damage to their homes.

The rains left more than 90 litres per square metre in approximately half an hour, according to the data provided by the Mayor's Office. The episode caused water to enter three homes and the Museo Histórico Municipal, as well as incidents in the storehouse of the kiosk in the Plaza de la Fuente and in the courtyard of the senior residence. No personal injuries were recorded. To remove the mud accumulated on the travesía de la A-3225 and in the Plaza de la Fuente, the Town Council hired machinery and staff from a local company for two days, given the lack of cleaning resources from the regional Administration during Sunday and Monday. Muñoz has stated that, despite it being a regional-owned travesía, the Council decided to reinforce the work to restore normality.

The VOX municipal spokesperson, Cándido Ábalos, had demanded explanations for the municipal management of the episode and denounced that the use of municipal material was not authorised during the aid tasks. He also called for new investments to prevent future episodes. In her response, the mayor has defended the investments made in the municipality's water infrastructure and has stated that more than 90 % of the supply and sewerage networks have been renewed. Muñoz has questioned VOX's criticism and has defended the actions of the Government team, which maintains as priorities completing the clean-up and monitoring the damage caused by the rains.