In Bilbao, a man was taken into custody this Tuesday as part of a serious investigation into an alleged attempted murder connected to a violent incident that began with a deliberate blaze at a fish market located in the Atxuri district. The suspect is accused of carrying out an act that aimed to end the life of his partner, with the fire reportedly set in a brooding, calculated manner while the victim was at home with their teenage daughter.
According to the Basque Department of Security, the woman most affected by the flames required urgent medical attention and was transported to a major burn unit, where her prognosis remains serious. The hospital care was necessary after she sustained extensive injuries in the inferno that erupted in the early hours of the morning.
The events unfolded around two o’clock on the morning of April 30 on Atxuri Street in Bilbao. The fire claimed a life and left a woman who had stayed the night with her young child hospitalized for injuries of varying severity, necessitating evacuation to multiple medical facilities for specialized treatment.
Fire crews and Ertzaintza officers responded immediately to the scene, working to extinguish the blaze and rescue anyone trapped by the flames. Their swift actions were crucial in preventing further harm and stabilizing the victims as the investigation began to determine how the fire started and what happened in the moments leading up to it.
Initial reports suggested the incident could have been accidental, but authorities quickly initiated a thorough inquiry to determine the true course of events. Law enforcement operations focused on analyzing the evidence at the site, reviewing surveillance material, and gathering testimonies from witnesses who were in the area when the fire broke out.
The Basque police later stated that the evidence pointed toward a deliberate act, with investigators considering the possibility of violence tied to gender-based aggression. They noted that the fire could have been used as a means to harm or threaten the victim, which would place the case within a broader context of domestic violence and control dynamics that authorities have been addressing in recent years.
In the following days, a more extensive examination of the fish market was conducted with the help of canine units and the Ertzaintza’s scientific division. The investigation yielded material that prosecutors later used to charge the suspect with attempted murder, in addition to bodily injury and arson-related offenses connected to the fire.
On Tuesday afternoon, authorities apprehended a 36-year-old man linked to the incident. He was placed in custody as the case moved toward court proceedings, with the goal of ensuring the victim’s safety and pursuing the necessary legal avenues to address the alleged violence and crime that surrounded the event.
The detainee remains in custody at the Ertzaintza facility as prosecutors prepare to present the case before the Court of Violence Against Women in Bilbao, where the legal process will determine accountability for the alleged crimes and the appropriate measures to protect those affected by the violence.