The store-room of the Huercal-Overa Caritas food bank has been flooded by a blocked sewage pipe, and dozens of kilos of foodstuff have had to be binned.
Caritas, the charitable organisation of the Catholic Church, said this was not the first time the basement room had flooded due to blocked sewage pipes running from the Costa Fleming urbanisation in which it’s sited, but this is the worst flood so far.
Organiser Salvador Cabrera reckons 40 kilos of sugar, 60 kilos of infant milk solution, a vast amount of pasta and rice as well as packaged beans have all had to be binned because of the contamination.
The fault came from a pipe belonging to Galasa leading into the main sewer which was blocked. Caritas had noticed it was dripping before the holidays, but at some point before Tuesday the pipe gave way, ruining all the food collected just before Christmas to be donated to needy families this January.
Caritas is currently making an inventory of what they need before running an emergency appeal in Huercal Overa with the support of the townhall.