Mystery surrounds the death of a British expat whose body was found by firefighters responding to a blaze at her home in Almeria.
The woman, aged around 70, was found dead across the road from the farmhouse in Antas last Saturday.
The grisly discovery was made after the Guardia Civil, firefighters and paramedics responded to reports of a fire at around 8.25am, which had been called into the 112 emergency hotline.
Upon arrival to the property, situated in the Los Llanos area, firefighters encountered a complex scene.
The fire, which appeared to have started in a bedroom, had filled the house with smoke, trapping the husband inside.
When emergency services arrived, he was calling for help from a bedroom, trapped behind the barred windows of a balcony and unable to escape on his own.
According to local reports, firefighters had to use a crowbar to force open and remove the balcony grate to free him.
The man, also elderly, was the only person found alive inside the house and required medical attention for smoke inhalation.
However, the focus of the investigation is now on the discovery of the woman’s body, which was found across the street from the house.
Sources from the Fire Consortium have clarified that the death of this person is not directly related to the fire or smoke inhalation, as the body was found outside before firefighting efforts began and showed signs inconsistent with the effects of the fire.
The couple’s son and his girlfriend were also present at the scene, although it is not yet known whether they managed to leave the building at the start of the fire or arrived later.
The mayor of Antas, Pedro Ridao, explained that the City Council is awaiting the results of the autopsy to determine the nature of the events.
The mayor indicated that the City Council will wait to confirm whether it was an accidental death or an act of violence or crime before making any institutional decisions, such as the possible declaration of official mourning in the municipality.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
