Video captures 'moments of panic' when Spanish train was surrounded by wildfire
SPAIN - Video taken by a train passenger in Spain captured what was described as ‘moments of panic’ as the train stopped in the middle of a raging wildfire.
The video, which was taken by Francisco Seonane Perez, was posted onto Twitter on July 18. Seonane said the train was headed from Madrid to an area in northwestern Spain when the train stopped for a few minutes. Video shows passengers wondering what was going on, as a wildfire burned outside.
The train, according to Seonane's tweet, resumed after a few minutes.
According to reports by Spanish online news provider El Diario (In Spanish/En Español), the train Seonane was on was the last train to pass the area before train service was stopped.
According to reports by the Associated Press, Spain, along with Germany, Portugal, and the United Kingdom, are dealing with wildfires as extreme heat grips the continent. The head of Spain’s Civil Protection and Emergencies agency, Leonardo Marcos González, noted that extreme heat and wildfires have hit the country three weeks earlier than usual this year, and that many fires broke out at the same time.
"We are in the midst of the most significant civil protection emergency on record," he told radio station SER.
According to an official with the European Union's Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Commission, a firefighter has lost his life while battling wildfires in Spain.
The Associated Press (AP) contributed to this report. This story was reported on from Phoenix.