British Consular team deployed to Murcia fire

A team from the British Consulate in Alicante travelled to Murcia on Friday morning to ascertain the situation of the British residents in the La Manga and Cartagena during the fire outside the village of Portman.

After making the initial contacts with the local authorities and the emergencies services, the Consul Paul Rodwell and Vice Consul Liz Bell travelled to the region of Murcia visiting British evacuees and speaking to the local authorities and representatives of the emergency services. Meanwhile, back in the Consulate in Alicante, staff were checking with the hospitals in the area of Cartagena for any British casualties whilst regularly updating the Foreign Office, the British Embassy in Madrid and the Consular network in Spain. Consular officers from other posts in Spain were on standby and were ready to travel to Murcia.

The British Consulate in Alicante, Paul Rodwell, said:
“Crisis management is a key part of our role. We work alongside the Spanish authorities to ensure that British nationals are safe and well. This is the third time we have deployed since I became Consul last August, the previous occasions being a hotel fire in Benidorm and the earthquake in Lorca. I was impressed by the coordination and determination of the emergency services which have saved lives and homes. I have personally thanked at the crisis centre, the President of Murcia and the Mayor of La Union for the support received by British residents taken to the evacuation centre”

No British nationals were injured or saw their properties damaged during the fire. The British Consular team deployed to Murcia returned to Alicante on Friday afternoon. It highlights the importance of crisis deployment for the Consulate who have deployed three times in the last nine months.