Major Blaze Devastates Businesses on Costa del Sol
In the early hours of Wednesday, 27th December, a significant fire broke out in Marbella on the Costa del Sol, resulting in the complete destruction of at least three businesses. The incident is currently under investigation by the National Police. Notably, one of the affected establishments had been the target of a shooting incident in July of this year, where the assailant used submachine guns.
Emergency Services Respond to Early Morning Fire
The emergency services began receiving calls from eyewitnesses around 4.15am. The fire reportedly started in one of the establishments on Avenida de Naciones Unidas, located in the Cristamar shopping centre. The flames rapidly spread along the façade, impacting neighbouring businesses. Two of these businesses were completely gutted, while others suffered partial damage. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in any of the incidents.
Fire Brigade and Police Forces Alerted
The 112 Andalucía emergency operators promptly alerted the fire brigade, as well as the Local Police and National Police forces. Despite their efforts, the flames completely engulfed two of the businesses. The early morning shock did not end there. Just two hours later, around 6.30am, the 112 Andalucía operators received calls about another fire in an establishment located in Avenida Manolete, in the Nueva Andalucía area. Once again, no injuries were reported despite the damage to the premises.
Possible Gang-Related Retaliation
According to sources consulted by SUR, there are indications that these fires could be related to a settling of scores between gangs operating on the Costa del Sol. One of the fires reportedly occurred in the same establishment that was targeted in a shooting earlier this year, causing panic among passers-by. The shooting took place on 18th July, around 6pm, when two suspects in a vehicle approached the business, and at least one of them fired several shots from a submachine gun before fleeing the scene.
Previous Shooting Incident Linked to Fire
Minutes after the shooting, several people called 112 Andalucía to report smoke and flames in the Benavolá area of Marbella, just a few kilometres from the shooting scene. The same car used in the getaway, a black BMW, was later found burnt out in the area after a forest fire was extinguished by the Plan Infoca crew.
