National Police officers have arrested a 67 year old man as the alleged instigator of a fire in a block of flats in Sevilla in which 11 people were injured.
The fire, in an apartment block in calle José Gómez Millán in the Naciones district of the city, caused the evacuation of 80 people from their homes. Eleven people were injured, three of them requiring hospitalisation.
Rafael P.P., a 67 year old resident in the block, was charged with causing the explosion which started the fire. When police searched his home they found several gas bottles and various cans of flammable liquids. They also found €120,000 in cash.
The man, who lived alone, was recently involved in a heated discussion at a meeting of the comunidad de propietarios (owners association) and, according to some other residents, had threatened to carry out some sort of action. Residents also claimed that Rafael P.P. was confrontational and unbalanced and had sent out threatening letters containing allegations that community funds were being misappropriated.
The police, however, stated that Rafael P.P. appeared to be an ordinary man with no history of mental illness or mental problems and had not been the subject of any complaints or denuncias relating to the making of threats.