112 incident
UPDATE: Two siblings aged 10 and 15 die in Arroyo de la Miel house fire
The children's mother is in a serious condition in hospital after the blaze spread between the third and fourth floors
Two siblings aged 10 and 15 have died following a major house fire in Arroyo de la Miel, Benalmádena, in the early hours of Thursday ... morning.
The victims - a 10-year-old girl and her 15-year-old brother - were trapped after the blaze broke out in a four-storey residential building on Calle Onix.
Emergency services received the first alarm calls at around 5.40am. Fire crews from Benalmádena, Mijas, and Fuengirola attended the scene alongside National Police, Local Police, and 061 ambulance paramedics.
The children's mother was rescued and taken to hospital in a serious condition, where she remains under medical observation. A firefighter was also injured during the rescue operation, while several other emergency workers and police officers received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Municipal sources said the fire originated in a third-floor flat and had already reached an advanced stage by the time crews arrived. Images captured by neighbours show the flames rapidly spreading to the fourth floor, where the family lived.
Emergency teams evacuated the upper floors and rescued several residents, but were unable to save the two teenagers. A judicial delegation was activated to oversee the recovery of the bodies and their transfer to the Institute of Legal Medicine (IML) in Malaga, where post-mortem examinations will determine whether the cause of death was smoke inhalation or burns.
Forensic police officers have launched an investigation into the cause of the outbreak while firefighters work to fully extinguish the building.
Benalmádena Mayor Juan Antonio Lara offered his condolences to the family, friends, and schoolmates of the victims, confirming that the town will observe three days of official mourning.
"Nobody prepares us to face a loss like this," Lara said. "I also want to offer words of comfort and gratitude to the firefighters and police officers who took part in the rescue. I am fully aware of the pain and helplessness you feel, and I share it with you."