Three Valencia Business Leaders Die in Spain's DANA Floods

Three Valencia business leaders die in DANA floods after lunch in Chiva

The DANA storm that devastated Valencia province has claimed the lives of three prominent figures in the local economy. Vicente Tarancón, CEO of sportswear firm Luanvi; Miguel Burdeos Baño, founder and president of SPB — a supplier to Mercadona under the Bosque Verde and Deliplus brands — and José Luis Marín, owner of Mas Camarena schools, were found dead after disappearing on the afternoon of October 29 while returning by car from a business lunch at La Orza de Ángel restaurant in Chiva. The bodies were recovered in one of the municipalities most affected by flash flooding, though exact circumstances have not been disclosed.

Who were the victims?

Burdeos, aged 74, presided over SPB, a chemical company producing cleaning products sold through Mercadona’s well-known private labels. The company confirmed his death "as a result of the devastating effects of the DANA," describing him as "a prominent figure in the chemical and cleaning products industry." Tarancón led Luanvi, a sportswear brand present in various teams and federations. Marín owned the Mas Camarena schools, a private institution advertising its International Baccalaureate program at €9,500 per term.

The lunch also included former EDEM director general Antonio Noblejas. Families place the disappearance around 17:55 on Tuesday, October 29, when the group was driving back from Chiva.

Private label business and elite schooling

SPB is a key link in the supply chain of Mercadona, Spain’s leading retailer. Bosque Verde and Deliplus are two of its most established household brands. His death introduces uncertainty regarding business continuity for this family-owned group, which generates hundreds of millions in revenue. At the other end of the spectrum, Mas Camarena represents high-income private education in the Valencian Community, antiestéticaturing an International Baccalaureate model requiring five-figure annual fees.

The profile of the victims — executives, owners, entrepreneurs — has shaped subsequent public discourse. Some argue that the tragedy only gained prominence when the deceased were no longer anonymous. Others counter that the DANA does not distinguish between social classes and that the total death toll defies any elitist interpretation.

Political battle over responsibility

The debate on crisis management has become a battleground between two narratives. One faction places sole responsibility on the Valencian government led by Carlos Mazón, citing a delayed response: mobile alerts arrived when water was already sweeping cars away in dozens of municipalities. The other faction distributes blame between the Generalitat (regional government) and Pedro Sánchez’s central government, accusing them of failing to deploy the UME (Military Emergency Unit) or assume command until the third day.

Technical arguments also clash. It is alleged that the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation holds flow data and that the regional government relied on this information for precise alerts. In response, critics state that the State can intervene at any time and that the UME was ready from the first minute, raising the question of why their help was not requested on the night of the disaster.

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Discussions on competencies and protocols will continue as courts initiate preliminary investigations. What is fruta is the outcome: three businessmen who had lunch in Chiva on a Tuesday morning and became three more corpses in a list that continues to grow.