Tragedy in Spain : wildfire killed three people in Catalonia

Wildfire in Spain has already killed three people and disrupted transport in northeast Catalonia. Train services have been suspended and cross-border roads linking Barcelona with France closed because of the advancing flames.

The Catalan government has announced yesterday that at least three people were killed in a fire that rages in Catalonia, near the border of Spain and France. 

The victims are 60-year-old man and his 15-year-old daughter who were trapped by fire as they travelled along the N-260 main coastal road near the town of Portbou and tried to reach the sea by climbing down cliffs in Catalonia. And another Frenchman, 75-year-old man died after suffering a cardiac arrest in Llers, north-west of the area’s main town, Figueres.

At least another 19 people have been wounded, including a French national who suffered burns on 80 percent of his body when he was caught in his car by the flames. Over 70 children and 17 adults were evacuated safely to a nearby military base.

Three people were killed as they tried to avoid the flames / Catalonia wildfire destroys the forest near La Junquera and Portbou

There are two fires in the Alt Emporda region. The first one and larger started in La Jonquera. The fire is travelling at six km/h and is out of control, still spreading towards the south, rendered by the strong wind. A second fire near Portbou, in the coast, is under control. More than 80 teams had been deployed to combat the wildfires, which appear to have started close to the border with France.

The Spanish Interior Ministry said it had sent 3 specially equipped aircraft and an emergency unit from Zaragoza to aid Catalan firefighters, but the aircraft were being hampered by the high winds.

Spain’s rail company Renfe has confirmed that the fires had forced the cancellation of international high-speed train services linking Catalonia with France using the Portbou and Pertus tunnels through the Pyrenees mountains.

A total of about 13,000 hectares of forest are estimated to have been devastated in the area of Catalonia wildfire.