Horror in Spain as British woman’s body found outside burning house – husband trapped | World | News
Spanish authorities have launched an investigation after a 66-year-old British woman was found dead outside a burning farmhouse in rural Almeria, with her husband screaming for help inside. The fire in Antaş was reported to the emergency services at 08.25 local time, and fire brigades were dispatched to the scene in a short time.
But when they arrived, they found a woman, who police confirmed was British, already dead opposite the farmhouse, while her husband was shouting for help from a balcony fitted with bars. Authorities managed to save him by removing the balcony’s railings with a crowbar. The 76-year-old man was treated for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters determined that the woman’s death was not directly caused by smoke inhalation and that her injuries were inconsistent with the typical effects of a fire. Olive Press.
The couple’s son and his girlfriend were also at the scene. It is not yet known whether they escaped from the fire or came home later.
Antas Mayor Pedro Ridao said the City Council is awaiting the results of the autopsy and the Civil Guard’s investigation to determine the circumstances of death.
He added that the council would not take any official steps, such as declaring mourning, until it was clear whether the incident was a tragic accident or a violent crime.
There are more than 30,000 building fires in Spain every year, and in 2024 these fires claimed the lives of 172 people while they were in their homes or in stairwells or landings, according to a report published in November by the Mapfre foundation and the professional firefighters’ association. Most died from smoke inhalation caused by fires from electrical panels, heaters, or cigarettes. Sur in English.
Almost half of the deaths were in people aged 65 and over, the age group most vulnerable to these crashes: two-thirds were men. Most deaths at home occur between 20:00 and 08:00 at night. The report stated that the risk of dying in a fire was almost five times higher among those living alone than among those sharing the same house.
