A 64-year-old man has been arrested by the National Police in Alicante for his purported involvement in a fire that broke out on the fifth floor of a building situated in the northern region of the city. The individual arrested was residing at the residence illegally, without paying rent, and had a prior record of other offences.

Despite the prompt evacuation of the building, two individuals required treatment for smoke inhalation. According to a statement from the Superior Police Headquarters, both individuals were discharged from the hospital on the same day. The statement also acknowledged that the material damage was “substantial,” although it has not yet been evaluated.

The National Police Provincial Citizen Security Brigade’s on-duty alerts detected a fire on the fifth floor of a building in the northern part of Alicante at approximately 3:30 p.m. on April 29th. A security cordon was promptly erected around the building’s perimeter, allowing firefighters, the Alicante Local Police, and medical assistance to remain inside.

The Emergency Services and Local Police evacuated the entire afflicted building during the intervention, establishing a secure area where residents were provided with assistance by the emergency services.

The National Police endeavoured to identify the proprietor of the apartment from which the fire originated. He stated that a man had resided in the house for an extended period of time, had ceased to pay rent, and had continued to inhabit it as a squatter.

He clarified that legal proceedings were currently underway to enforce his eviction, which was scheduled for early May. The proprietor also informed the officers that, due to the proximity of the vacancy date, he suspected that the tenant may have intentionally set the fire to damage the property before departing.

The tenants’ involvement in numerous prior incidents rendered them “convinced” that the tenant was responsible for the fire, as evidenced by the testimony of building residents during the subsequent investigation.

After extinguishing the fire, we verified that the resident was not at home at the time of the incident. In such instances, the Provincial Forensic Police Brigade was summoned to conduct a technical and police inspection of the residence, as per the established procedure.

Simultaneously, the National Police initiated a search operation, as they suspected that the resident was directly responsible for the fire’s inception. He was promptly apprehended while attempting to re-enter the burned-out home in the middle of the afternoon.

The individual who was apprehended has a criminal record for other offences and will be presented to the Alicante Investigative Court in the near future.

In order to safeguard its facilities, Elche has implemented a prohibition on the sale and consumption of sunflower seeds on the stadium grounds, commencing with the upcoming match against Levante on May 10th. According to Elche’s statement, the measure is also being implemented to ensure hygiene and to reaffirm the club’s dedication to environmental sustainability and respect.

Recently, the green-and-white team has asserted that the substantial consumption of sunflower seeds at matches has resulted in a structural issue. The club’s statement asserts that “the shells clog drains and pipes; they damage the seats and affect the paint and finishes on multiple surfaces; they significantly increase cleaning and maintenance costs; they attract infestations of rats and pigeons; and, above all, they jeopardise the health of the stands.”

Elche also emphasises that “it is not feasible to eliminate the waste entirely” despite the cleanup teams’ endeavours. Furthermore, Elche states that the sunflower seed husks “contribute to the erosion of the concrete floor and the accumulation of debris in hard-to-reach areas.”

Finally, the club acknowledges that the decision is not “intended to punish any fan” and expresses gratitude to its supporters for their comprehension.

The contract for the draughting of the project and construction management for the development of land as park-and-ride parking has been approved by the Local Government Board of Torrevieja City Council. OWNplan – JARS, a joint venture, will be responsible for contracting the project. The project will be developed within a month, with a budget of €57,952.26.

Six publicly owned and presently vacant plots of land will be the subject of construction. These plots are located in various regions of the municipality. The municipality will receive over 150,000 additional square metres of temporary parking as a result of these initiatives, which are designed to alleviate traffic congestion in the city centre and promote the use of more sustainable modes of transportation.

The new parking sites will be located in strategic locations. One of them will be situated near the N-332, between the Acequión Canal, Calle Urbano Arregui, and Avenida de la Estación. Another will be situated at the intersection of Avenida de la Estación and Calle Ciudad de Barcelona, adjacent to the Acequión Public School. In addition, a plot of land will be established adjacent to the residential area of Parque de las Naciones, near the same national highway. A location will be established in the Torreta area between Avenida Ramón del Valle Inclán and Calle José María de Pereda and Emilia Pardo Bazán. An additional plot of land will be developed in the vicinity of Calle Juan Valera, between Avenida Rosa Mazón Valero and the CV-905. Lastly, the most expansive location will be situated on Avenida Delfina Viudes, adjacent to Antonio Soria Park and the weekly market, with a total surface area exceeding 90,000 square meters.

The initiative is in response to the increasing demand for parking spaces from both residents and visitors, as noted by the City Council. The provision of these spaces also aims to stimulate active mobility on foot or by bicycle, as well as to promote more efficient modes of transportation, such as public transport, shared mobility, and high-occupancy vehicles. The objective is to enhance the purity of air, reduce air pollution levels, improve traffic flow, and reduce the occupation of public space by private vehicles. This will contribute to the general well-being.