Five months after the catastrophic flooding in Valencia that resulted in 227 deaths, Carlos Mazón, the president of the Generalitat Valenciana, held his first official meeting with a victim advocacy group.

Joaquín Amills, president of SOS Desaparecidos, a group representing families of the deceased, conveyed the profound grief and demands of the affected families.

Following a nearly two-hour meeting, Amills stated that families desire accountability and an apology from Mazón, who was called upon to resign and voluntarily testify before a judge in Catarroja, investigating the disaster response.

Amills stressed the importance of addressing the failures in management before, during, and after the disaster that occurred on September 29, and criticized the political strife that has emerged surrounding the tragedy.

He articulated the view that Mazón bears the highest level of responsibility for the incident.

During the discussion, it was revealed that Mazón offered to provide a contact for family support services, which Amills viewed as a positive step.

The president of SOS Desaparecidos lamented that other governmental bodies have not reached out to victims or sought their input on the situation.

He noted that Mazón did not respond directly to the call for his resignation.

Amills reiterated that accountability must be pursued comprehensively, including potential responsibilities at the national government level.

In the meeting, Mazón allegedly described the situation as a 'perfect storm,' acknowledging the various failures in crisis management.

However, Amills conveyed that he interpreted this statement as a recognition of the need for accountability.

Amills provided details indicating that the Generalitat had reached out to him earlier in the week to arrange the meeting, which he attended without legal representation.

Additionally, they are attempting to act as a private prosecution in the ongoing judicial process led by Judge Nuria Ruiz Tobarra regarding the flooding, where they intend to call Mazón as a witness.

Amills criticized the emergency response coordination, noting that no records were kept during the crisis management and alleging that alerts to mobile phones were delayed improperly, which may have contributed to loss of life.

The judge has suggested that timely alerts might have prevented some fatalities.

To ensure transparency, Amills stipulated that their meeting with Mazón be public, and Susana Camarero, the first vice president of the Consell and Masón's close associate, also attended.

Camarero has publicly attributed some blame for the disaster response to the national government.

Since the floods, Mazón has not held other formal meetings with victim groups; his last interaction was an impromptu gathering at the Palau de Manises with flood victims, where he issued an apology and admitted that the emergency alerts were delayed.