Two dead after light aircraft crashes in southern Spain

Two people died on Sunday afternoon after the light aircraft in which they were travelling crashed in a remote area in the municipality of San José del Valle, in the province of Cadiz in Andalucía. At first, given the difficulty in accessing the area, it was believed that there could be more fatalities although it was later confirmed that just two bodies were recovered.

It was a local resident from the nearby village of Algar who first alerted the emergency services by calling 112 and warned of a possible accident involving a small plane in the area of Puente Tempul. After this, Guardia Civil officers made arrangements with the Junta's Plan Infoca wildfire service and with the nearest air control tower "in case they had knowledge of what happened and could provide a location for the crash site, but with negative results," sources told Europa Press.

However, an off-duty officer from the Algar police station also received a call from the local resident, "as he knew the area of the possible accident very well". The Guardia Civil travelled to the place "by his own means" and located the crashed light aircraft in "a difficult access area", with "at least two people inside, both deceased".

After contacting the control tower at Jerez airport again, the Guardia Civil was able to confirm that it was a light aircraft based in the town of La Ina. Finally, "after contacting one of the owners of the aircraft", the officers explained that it was confirmed that the aircraft "left its base in the morning on a routine flight and that there were two people on board".

The cause of the accident is not known at the moment and both the Guardia Civil and Spain's aviation authorities will collaborate in the investigation. The mayor of San José del Valle, Antonio González Carretero, has conveyed his "deepest condolences on behalf" of the town "to the families of the two victims of the light aircraft that crashed in Tempul, in our municipality".