The staircase of the Provincial Palace of the Diputación de Zaragoza hosted this Wednesday, August 19, an emotional minute of silence in memory of the firefighter of the DPZ and the worker who lost their lives this Tuesday in the fire declared at a company in Calatorao, in the Comarca of Valdejalón. The gathering, called at 11:00 hours, brought together representatives of the main Aragonese institutions, authorities, staff of the Diputación, and members of the emergency services, who wanted to publicly express their sorrow for what happened.
Among those present were the president of the Government of Aragon, Jorge Azcón; the president of the Diputación de Zaragoza, Juan Antonio Sánchez Quero; the vice president of the provincial institution, Teresa Ladrero, as well as other public officials and institutional leaders. The event served as a tribute to the two victims and also as a gesture of support for their families, their coworkers, and all the people affected by the disaster.
The Diputación de Zaragoza had called for this minute of silence after learning of the death of both workers and has also declared three days of official mourning, during which the institution's flags will fly at half-mast. The gathering took place in front of the provincial headquarters, in Plaza España of Zaragoza, just one day after the day marked by the tragedy in Calatorao.
The fire originated on Tuesday in a company in the municipality of Zaragoza, and emergency teams were dispatched to combat the flames. During the extinguishing tasks, a firefighter from the DPZ lost their life while participating in the operation. The president of the provincial institution, Juan Antonio Sánchez Quero, immediately traveled to the scene of the incident as soon as he learned of the death of the firefighter.
Shortly after, a second fatality was confirmed. A worker from the affected company died as a result of the fire, raising the total number of deceased to two. The Diputación de Zaragoza communicated this second death on Tuesday afternoon, on a day when the authorities sent their condolences to the relatives and coworkers of both deceased.
A tragedy that unites Aragonese institutions
The minute of silence held this Wednesday has transferred that mourning to the institutional sphere and has allowed for a joint remembrance of the two people who lost their lives in the fire. The call has gathered public officials and representatives from different sectors, as well as employees of the Diputación itself, especially affected by the loss of one of their colleagues.
The president of the Government of Aragón, Jorge Azcón, had already expressed his sorrow on Tuesday for the death of the firefighter and sent a message of support to his family and colleagues. After the confirmation of the second death, the regional president reiterated his closeness to the families of the victims and emphasized that the Aragonese Executive was at the disposal of the municipality and all the affected people at this time.
The concentration has also taken place in a context of special sensitivity for the Aragonese emergency services, which in these weeks are facing various interventions related to fires in a scenario of high temperatures and great concern about the risk of fire. The tribute has also served to make visible the work of those who make up these teams and the dangers they assume in each action.
The Calatorao fire leaves two dead
The first confirmed death was that of the firefighter from the Diputación de Zaragoza, who died while intervening against the fire declared in this company in the Comarca de Valdejalón. The news was made public on Tuesday afternoon, when the efforts related to controlling the fire were still ongoing.
Hours later, the Diputación reported that a worker from the affected company had also lost his life as a direct consequence of the incident. With this second death, the toll of the tragedy stood at two fatalities.
The fire has thus left a deep mark both in Calatorao and in the provincial emergency services. For the Diputación, the death of one of its firefighters represents a particularly hard blow for a group that performs its work daily in risky environments and that, on this occasion, has been marked by a fatal outcome.
This Wednesday, the minute of silence observed in front of the Provincial Palace has symbolized that shared mourning. During the gathering, authorities, employees, and representatives from the different administrations have remained together in memory of the two victims, while the flags of the Diputación continue at half-mast during the three days of official mourning decreed by the institution.