Spain: 10 injured while leaving stopped train near wildfire
Authorities in Spain say an approaching wildfire caused a train driver to stop and prepare to change directions, and several passengers were injured when they got off rather than wait
Spain: 10 injured while leaving stopped train near wildfire
Show all 2Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An approaching wildfire in eastern Spain caused a train driver to stop and prepare to change directions to avoid the flames, and several passengers were injured when they got off rather than wait, authorities said.
The train was traveling in the Valencia region on Tuesday night when the driver decided to reverse course because of the wildfire advancing from around the town of Bejís, further east.
Some passengers got off the train when it stopped in the countryside, including ones who broke windows to escape, officials said. Ten people were injured, Spanish state news agency Efe reported.
The government of Castellón province on Wednesday tweeted a video of firefighters running for their lives as towering flames from the Bejís fire roared behind them.
The wildfire is one of two still raging out of control in eastern Spain. South of Valencia city, a bigger fire around the Val d’Ebo area has forced more than 1,500 people to evacuate towns and villages since the weekend.
Valencia regional President Ximo Puig said Wednesday that the Bejís fire had a perimeter of some 50 kilometers (30 miles) and had burned some 4,000 hectares (10,00 acres). He said the Val d'Ebo blaze had a perimeter of 80 kilometers (50 miles) and had scorched some 11,500 hectares (28,000 acres).
The European Forest Fire Information System says 275,000 hectares (679,000 acres) have burned in wildfires so far this year in Spain. That’s more than four times the country’s annual average of 67,000 hectares (165,000 acres) since 2006, when records began.
In neighboring Portugal, authorities said they hoped to bring under control a wildfire that has burned for 12 days and scorched large swaths of pine forest in the Serra da Estrela Natural Park.
However, officials warned a new heat wave forecast for the area could complicate the task.
Smoke from the Portugal fire reached Spain's capital, Madrid, about 400 kilometers (240 miles) to the east, on Tuesday.
___
Follow all AP stories on climate change and the environment at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.