the essential
While the floods caused the death of more than 200 people in the south and east of Spain, a Spanish supermarket brand is accused of having made these employees work during the bad weather.
It was one of the first striking images of the passage of the deadly cold drop in the region of Valencia, in Spain, which left more than 200 dead according to a latest report published by the emergency services. A man, stuck in his truck, surrounded by water that kept rising. The delivery driver was miraculously saved by the firefighters at the cost of a very dangerous intervention with the use of a helicopter.
Moment when the rescuers of the GERA and V-990 helicopter from @BombersValencia they reach a vehicle trapped by water in Alzira and rescue its driver and then also another female driver in Alzira.
Firefighters' top priority is rescues across the province. pic.twitter.com/KagEyOTpdX— Firemen Consorci VLC (@BombersValencia) https://twitter.com/BombersValencia/status/1851219923978125317?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
In the images released by the Spanish firefighters, the logo of the truck had been blurred. But Internet users very quickly found who the vehicle belonged to: Mercadona, a famous supermarket brand on the other side of the Pyrenees. Since then, the controversy has grown. The distributor is accused of having made its employees work in conditions made difficult by the rising waters and the resulting torrents of mud.
“The city was doing well.”
While a red alert had been declared in the Valencia region from 7 a.m., the man was working when he was saved at the last minute, around the middle of the day. Some Spaniards quickly criticized the company on social networks, accusing it of “criminal behavior” and of “putting the lives of its workers in danger to earn 4 dollars more”.
AFP – JOSE JORDAN
Faced with these accusations, the spokesperson for the brand tried to put out the fire. Speaking to the media The Olive Press, he assured that “the city was fine” when the driver left for a delivery. “Mercadona is following the instructions of the relevant authorities to ensure the safety of all its workers. By the time the delivery man went to deliver the order, the city had returned to normal. There was a flood which, unfortunately, affected our delivery man But thanks to the emergency services, he was able to be rescued, he is fine,” he assured.
A controversy which does not only target Mercadona since Uber eats and Glovo are singled out after certain delivery men from these companies were seen circulating on Tuesday under downpours of rain.
