The Spanish Civil Guard arrested this Friday (24) a man suspected of starting the fire that triggered the "worst fire in history" in communities around Madrid, the Spanish capital.
Man arrested for starting 'worst fire in history' in Madrid region
The Spanish Civil Guard arrested this Friday (24) a man suspected of starting the fire that triggered the "worst fire in history" in communities around Madrid, the Spanish capital. In addition to the prisoner, another...
In addition to the prisoner, another man is also being investigated for participation. They would have caused the sparks that started the flames by using heavy machinery, according to the Spanish Civil Guard.
Fire started in the municipality of Burgohondo, located in the province of Ávila. This is a province in the autonomous community of Castile and Leon, in central-western Spain, which borders the Community of Madrid, approximately 110 km from the Spanish capital.
The cause of the fire was serious recklessness: the use of heavy machinery in the area where the fire started, despite this activity being completely prohibited there. The two investigated would have caused sparks during the operation of this machinery, which would have caused the fire - Spanish Civil Guard, in a post on X
At least 19 thousand people have been displaced or are confined in the Community of Madrid region. This is described as the "worst fire in the history" of the region, which has already devastated 6,000 hectares, the regional president, Isabel Díaz Ayuso, announced this Friday.
Fire is an unprecedented catastrophe, said Ayuso. "For a region like this, with a high concentration of residences and population, it is a catastrophe. We have never experienced anything like it," he said.
Ayuso stressed that now "the priority is to save lives." The regional leader explained to journalists that her team is monitoring the situation of 1,200 elderly people who live near the flames and that four locations "have already been evacuated or are in the process of being evacuated."
Authorities also decreed confinement for the population of three other locations, added the regional leader. So far, there are no reports of deaths. On the eve of the disaster, the Spanish government declared a state of emergency in the Madrid region and the neighboring province of Ávila "due to the convergence" of several fires that could merge.
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Source: Noticias ao Minuto - Mundo
This story was originally published by Noticias ao Minuto - Mundo. Visit the original publication for further details.
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