Spain investigates deadly fire that killed three women in suspected gender violence attack

Emergency services in the northwestern region of Castilla y León said they were called to a fire in the town of Miranda de Ebro late on Tuesday night.

Two victims were discovered dead at the scene, while a third later died in hospital. Among those injured were two children aged seven and 11, emergency officials said in a statement.

The suspected attacker turned himself in to police on Wednesday and is now in custody, according to Pedro de la Fuente, the central government’s top representative in Burgos province.

Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska condemned what he described as ‘an utterly despicable’ incident ‘that we can say is gender violence’. The three women who died included the suspect’s former partner, her mother and another resident of the building.

Daily newspaper El País, citing sources close to the investigation, reported that the victims were a 24-year-old Colombian woman and two Spanish women aged 58 and 78.

The suspect was already known to authorities for previous offences, said José Carlos Donoso, the national police’s most senior officer in the province.

Spanish media said he had previously served prison sentences for violence against a woman and for sexually abusing a girl.

Meanwhile, the central government’s office against gender violence said on X that it was collecting information about the case.