Heartbreaking Funeral As Fire Fighters Lay Colleague To Rest
The heartbreaking funeral has taken place of the fallen firefighter who perished in the latest wildfires sweeping central Spain.
The footage released by the Military Emergency Unit (UME) of Spain and shows the funeral honours in the city of Zaragoza, in the Spanish region of Aragon, on 18th August shows comrades bearing the flag-draped coffin of a colleague killed when his fire engine overturned on a rain-soaked road during a wildfire operation.
The video shows the coffin carried at slow march by uniformed pallbearers past ranks of colleagues standing to attention.
The deceased has been named as Corporal Javier Garcia Sancho of the Fourth Emergency Intervention Battalion (BIEM IV), which is based in the city.
He was killed on Sunday, 16th August, in the Atares ravine near Monte Oroel while deployed against the Penas de Riglos wildfire in the province of Huesca.
The UME said in a statement: “Javier, your dedication and service to Spain will remain forever in our memory.
“The Zaragoza Air Base has hosted the funeral honours for our corporal Javier Garcia Sancho, Fourth Emergency Intervention Battalion, who died in the Penas de Riglos forest fire.
“All our affection to his family and loved ones.
“Rest in peace, comrade.”
Setting out the circumstances of his death, the unit said in an earlier statement: “The incident occurred around 6:00 PM during firefighting operations at the Penas de Riglos fire, for which the Military Emergency Unit had been activated.
“The fire engine carrying the affected military personnel was traveling on a road in the operations area, in the strategically most important sector for containing the potential advance of the fire towards the Pena Oro area.
“Due to the heavy rainfall, the road was muddy and offered poor traction. These circumstances may have caused the vehicle to lose stability or control, resulting in its plunge and overturning, although the cause is currently under investigation.
“Of the other three occupants of the fire truck, one was initially taken to the Miquel Servet Hospital and from there to the Military Hospital of Zaragoza. Meanwhile, the other two occupants, despite sustaining minor injuries, were also taken to the Military Hospital for a full evaluation.”
The Royal House of Spain, on behalf of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, said in a message: “All our affection for the family and colleagues of UME Corporal Javier Garcia Sancho, member of the Emergency Intervention Battalion IV (Zaragoza), who died while working on the extinction efforts of the Penas de Riglos forest fire and our wish that those injured in this operation recover well and as soon as possible.”
Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the president of the Aragonese government, Jorge Azcon, both sent condolences, while the region’s interior minister, Roberto Bermudez de Castro, led a minute of silence after an emergency coordination meeting.
