Mariano Rajoy offers Regional Government of Galicia "all the assistance it may need" in fighting wildfires

Accompanied by the President of the Regional Government of Galicia, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, Mariano Rajoy took part in a minute's silence in Vigo for the victims and held a coordination meeting that was also attended by the city's mayor, Abel Caballero, and senior officials from the police forces, the Guardia Civil and Civil Protection. Subsequently, the President of the Government attended the fire fighting operational command centre in Pazos de Borbén (Pontevedra).

In a statement to the media during his visit to the centre, the President of the Government expressed, on behalf of all the people of Spain, his condolences over the victims of these fires, and also recalled the 30 victims of the wildfire in Portugal.

Mariano Rajoy underlined that the government is "at the disposition" of the Regional Government of Galicia and of all the people of Galicia "for whatever they may need". Some 700 members of the Emergency Military Unit and more than 10 aerial resources have already travelled to Galicia, as well as a major consignment of material resources which has been sent to Asturias and to Castile and Leon, also affected by wildfires.

Fires started deliberately

Pool Moncloa/Diego Crespo"What we are seeing here is something that has not happened by chance, but started deliberately", said Mariano Rajoy, who remarked that Galicia has suffered from more than 125 fires started simultaneously.

The President of the Government pointed out that a "major fire" broke out in Pazos de Borbén at 1:30 am on Sunday morning in five different points at once, and that a fire was started in Vigo in plots of land separating houses, "leading to a situation of great confusion".

The President of the Government explained that he has given orders to the Guardia Civil and the police to "make every effort they can to arrest those people who have caused a situation such as this". This will be one of the main goals in the coming days", he added.

Mariano Rajoy pointed out that the situation "is a little better then yesterday", particularly in the provinces of Pontevedra and La Coruña, while the situation has deteriorated in Lugo and Orense. He also expressed his confidence that the efforts being carried out by thousands of people - from the military and police to volunteers - "will soon bear fruit, and that the weather will also come to our aid".

Non official translation