Christmas Day tragedy in Alhaurín el Grande as two teenagers, 15 and 16, die in house fire

Tragedy struck in Alhaurín el Grande in the Guadalhorce valley early this Christmas morning when two teenagers lost their lives in a house fire. Sources confirmed to SUR that the victims were Juan Antonio and Rebeca. They were 15 and 16 years old respectively and were boyfriend and girlfriend.

The alarm was raised at around eight o'clock in the morning, when several neighbours alerted the 112 emergency services. They reported that a house was on fire in Calle San Rafael and inside there were two youngsters who were calling for help, as they were trapped.

Despite the speed with which the fire brigade was mobilised, the virulence of the flames caused the fire to spread rapidly through the three-storey house.

The victims were apparently on the top floor, where their bodies were found. A dog that was in the house also died. According to sources, it is still too early to know how the fire started, although initial hypotheses point to a short circuit as one of the possible causes.

Apparently, the fire also caused the collapse of part of the roof. The 112 operators, after receiving emergency calls, immediately alerted the Guardia Civil, the local police and the provincial fire brigade, who sent firefighters from the Coín and Alhaurín de la Torre fire stations.

Despite the speed with which they were mobilised, by the time the firefighters arrived, the flames were already coming through the door and had spread practically throughout the house. It was a very complicated operation due to the large amount of flammable material on the first floor, which made it difficult for the firefighters to reach the upper floors.

The dramatic fire has caused shock and consternation in the town, where the two teenagers went to the Antonio Gala secondary school. The events took place in the home of the girl's mother, who at the time, according to sources, was in Malaga city with another daughter. The town hall, after the fire, mobilised its resources to be able to offer accommodation to the mother, as the house was destroyed.

The young couple had had Christmas Eve dinner at the home of the boy's parents and, at around quarter past three in the morning, they went to sleep at the girl's house, where the tragedy occurred. Alhaurín el Grande town hall decreed a day of official mourning on 26 December, "as a sign of respect and solidarity with the families".

The victims were members of the 'Boinas Negras' marching band of the Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno brotherhood, which has also expressed its sorrow on its Instagram profile: "Appalled by the immense pain that this double and early loss leaves us with."

The young girl, Rebeca, was also a member of the Lourdes Rodríguez Dance School that also sent out messages of condolence: "Today we say goodbye with deep sorrow to a much-loved student of our dance group 'Cajón Flamenco'. Her responsibility, her enthusiasm and the art she showed in every movement have left an indelible mark on our rehearsals and in our hearts."

The boy had been to Emilia Olivares primary school, which also published a statement on social media lamenting what had happened. "He was a student full of kindness, good deeds and humanity", said the school about Juan Antonio, of whom they highlighted his "great values, very well instilled and guided by his parents", to whom they sent a lot of strength, as well as to his siblings, in these "hard and difficult moments".