Heat stroke deaths soar

AN alarming nine people died of heatstroke in Alicante last month.

The numbers are expected to increase with the current heatwave pushing temperatures to record numbers.

high temperatures, such as children and older people, while also calling on people to stay hydrated and to watch for signs of heatstroke, which can include vomiting and fainting.

The new heatwave comes after the World Meteorological Organization said the beginning of this month was the hottest week on record for the planet.

'The world just had the hottest week on record, according to preliminary data,' the WMO said in a statement, after climate change and the early stages of the El Niño weather pattern drove the warmest June on record.

El Niño is a naturally occurring pattern that drives increased heat worldwide, as well as drought in some parts of the world and heavy rains elsewhere.

Over the summer period, hospital casualties increase by at least 10% due to extreme temperatures. There have been health alerts issued in over 50 towns in Alicante due to the increase of humidity going up to 70%

Triple death on beach

THREE men drowned while swimming off the Catalan coast on the same day despite the incidents taking place on beaches where lifeguards were present.

A 60-year-old Cuban man died while bathing in Girona province with emergency crews unable to save him, while a 55-year old man drowned in nearby waters. Further south, an Indian man drowned in Tarragona. Again, lifeguards managed to pull him out of the water but medics could not save his life.

A campaigning, community newspaper, the Olive Press represents the huge expatriate community in Spain with an estimated readership, including the websites, of more than two million people a month.

Voted top expat paper in Spain OPINION

Our Duty

IT is the moral duty of any public-serving media outlet in a healthy democracy to expose abuses of power.

At the Olive Press, we stand together with anyone, particularly foreigners, who have been bullied by the authorities.

So when we heard about the alleged police assault on Peruvian Diego Torres, we had an obligation to investigate it fairly and without prejudice.

It is true that when we first spoke to him, his story came as a shock.

But after meeting him and having gathered evidence, while naturally sceptical we could not find evidence that he was dishonest.

The Guardia Civil listened carefully when we explained to them the charges and promised us they will investigate when a complaint is formally filed.

The Olive Press maintains an excellent relationship with the law and order body, which we hope will continue.

Founded in 1844, the Guardia Civil is one of the main pillars of Spanish democracy, playing an essential role in the fight against crime and protecting us all.

‘Firm without violence’ were the words used by the Duke of Ahumada, its founder and first general director.

A motto that the vast majority of agents do follow, and we, as citizens, are thankful to them for taking care of us.

But if there are individuals that deviate from this purpose, and abuse the power vested in them as officers of the law, they must be rooted out.

So we are publishing Diego’s story to speed up the Guardia’s investigation into the issue and ensure that all their officers are on the right side of the law.

Because, if the charges turn out to be true, they probably have done it before, and are likely to do it again.

And if they turn out to be false, we can feel satisfied that we still did our duty to society.

PUBLISHER / EDITOR

Jon Clarke, jon@theolivepress.es

Dilip Kuner dilip@theolivepress.es

Alberto Lejarraga alberto@theolivepress.es

Jo Chipchase jo@theolivepress.es

John Culatto

ADMIN

Victoria Humenyuk Makarova (+34) 951 273 575 admin@theolivepress.es