A fire that broke out around five in the afternoon on Thursday ended the life of a three-year-old girl in the Granada town of Las Gabias (23,400 inhabitants), just 15 minutes from the capital. Around 5.15pm, the 061 emergency service received a call warning of a fire in San José de las Gabias street. The capital’s firefighters were immediately activated and once they arrived at the house they were notified that a family with minor children lived in that house. Specifically, they are three brothers aged 2, 3 and 4, according to municipal sources. The firefighters intervened on the fire, which according to some witnesses was very virulent, to rescue those who were inside. They managed to get the mother and one of the children out. Later, they discovered the body of their middle daughter.
The first hours of the Guardia Civil’s investigation focused on clarifying the causes of the fire and ascertaining which of the five family members, a couple and three children, were in the house at the time. The 061, however, initially reported an adult trapped in the house, on the upper floor, together with two minors, one of whom was injured. Investigators, however, are still investigating who occupied the house based on various statements obtained from witnesses.
The family, again according to municipal sources, had been in Las Gabias for a few months and came from Jaén. There they were perfectly integrated into the city and the children each attended a different educational centre, nursery for two year olds and school for three and four year olds.
The firefighters, the Guardia Civil, the health services and the Local Police then arrived at the scene of the accident. According to Javier Bravo, first deputy mayor of the municipality, the family lived in a single-family house of which “the ground floor is completely burned and the upper floor has a lot of damage”. The City Council of Las Gabias has declared a day of mourning and has suspended all activities planned for this Friday 14 November.
