Relatives of Britons killed in this summer's wildfires in Spain have told the BBC they are disgusted, after regional politicians blocked an official inquiry into the disaster. Nine British nationals were among the 15 people who died when fire ripped through the hillside village of Bédar, in the province of Almería in south-eastern Spain, on 9 July. Families have criticised the authorities' actions, including the decision not to send an emergency alert to mobile phones as the flames closed in.
"If that evacuation warning had come through in time, my father would still be alive," says Duncan Chard, who blames failures by officials on the day for a number of the deaths. He lost his father Michael and his dad's partner Christine. The governing People's Party (PP) and far-right Vox in the Andalusian parliament have rejected a request for a commission of inquiry made by the opposition Socialist party to which Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez belongs.
The PP and Vox argued that an ongoing criminal investigation would provide the necessary answers. The Andalusian government, PP and Vox have been approached for comment. Families of those killed say there must be a public and transparent probe.
As family members, we're absolutely disgusted. This is an insult," says Duncan Chard. The families also say their grief has been made worse by how police have handled their loved ones' remains and belongings since the fire.
Michael Chard built his house in Bédar from scratch. "He called it Casa Micas," his son said. "It was his place in the sun, it was his little paradise." On the morning of the fire, Michael's partner Christine had met friends and was due to go to the hairdresser.
"Then everything changed... the whole world changed for them," he said. Duncan Chard said his father, who had two artificial knees and walked with a stick, left his house with Christine as soon as they saw the flames. They left their phones and passports behind and tried to escape by car, but the road was blocked.
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