Spain: three women killed in suspected arson, man detained

15:31

Authorities in northern Spain have detained a man following the deaths of three women in a suspected arson at an apartment building in Miranda de Ebro, a town of about 37,000 residents located roughly 60 kilometers south of Bilbao. The incident occurred Tuesday evening.

Pedro de la Fuente, the government’s deputy delegate in Burgos, confirmed that the alleged perpetrator voluntarily presented himself to police and is currently in custody while authorities investigate his motives. Investigators are considering the possibility of a gender-based crime, as the suspect reportedly has a prior history of criminal behavior in the area.

According to local reports, the three women who died include a 24-year-old Colombian and two Spanish women aged 58 and 78. Emergency services initially treated seven people, two of whom died at the scene and one later in hospital. Among the injured are two children, a 7-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy.

José Carlos Donoso, the local police commissioner, emphasized that authorities are gathering all relevant information to determine the circumstances of the crime. The government delegation against gender-based violence also indicated that this case may be classified under #GenderBasedViolence.

The municipal authorities declared three days of official mourning. Alfonso Fernández Mañueco, president of the Castile and León region, expressed condolences and wishes for a full recovery for the injured, describing the event as “deeply distressing.”