Collapse of dry stone wall isolates luxury homes in Sant Nicolau, Dénia, during storm

A dry stone retaining wall, known locally as a marge, collapsed outside a modern home in Sant Nicolau, near Marineta Cassiana, blocking the road with stones, sediment and branches. The collapse left a row of exclusive homes in the area cut off. The collapse also exposed part of the affected property's foundations and dragged the perimeter metal fencing onto the asphalt.

The incident occurred amid a red alert in Dénia, with the ground saturated and unable to absorb more water. According to Dénia.com, rainfall records threaten to exceed 300 litres per square metre, wind gusts are exceeding 90 km/h and the Girona and Racons river channels are at the limit of their capacity.

Municipal authorities urged residents not to go outside and to seek shelter on upper floors due to the risk of sudden flooding, as the Dénia Town Hall had already requested in relation to the possible overflow of the Racons and Girona rivers. Classes are suspended, urban transport cancelled and municipal buildings remain closed due to the storm.

The storm has caused other disruptions in the municipality, as this newspaper previously reported on the felling of trees and the closure of the CV-735. Added to these are incidents involving flooding or fallen trees on Camí de Gandia, Pinaret d'Elies and Assagador del Palmar.

Authorities cordoned off the perimeter of the affected area in Sant Nicolau to stop traffic. Access to the affected homes remains impassable pending heavy machinery to remove the debris.