Swine Fever Outbreak Sparks Urgent Government Action Amid Multiple Regional Emergencies in Spain
Spain grapples with a swine fever outbreak in Catalonia amidst regional emergencies including an earthquake near Burgos and a hotel fire in Salamanca on December 8, 2025.
- • Carmen Crespo calls for urgent RASVE meeting over swine fever outbreak linked to IRTA in Catalonia.
- • Criticism of Spanish government's delayed communication and transparency regarding the outbreak.
- • Magnitude 4.5 earthquake near Burgos alarms residents; multiple accidents cause injuries including a baby.
- • Salamanca hotel fire injures six, caused by a guest smoking, requiring hospital treatment.
Key details
On December 8, 2025, Spain faced a series of critical emergencies across various regions, including a swine fever outbreak in Catalonia that has triggered a political call for urgent governmental response. Carmen Crespo, Member of the European Parliament and agriculture coordinator for the Popular Party, demanded an urgent and extraordinary meeting of the Red de Alerta Sanitaria Veterinaria de España (RASVE) due to alarming new information about the outbreak, which may be linked to the animal health research center IRTA. Crespo criticized the national government, particularly Agriculture Minister Planas, for slow and opaque communication, noting that regional governments first learned about the crisis through the media. She stressed the need for immediate and transparent cooperation to address the outbreak and protect Spain's pork sector, urging intensified negotiations with Japan and Taiwan to maintain crucial market access.
Meanwhile, in the Basque region near Burgos, residents of Miranda and Iruña de Oca were startled by a magnitude 4.5 earthquake just after midnight, prompting mobile alerts. The Burgos area also experienced multiple accidents throughout the day, including a collision with a wild boar on the N-234 road that injured a man, and subsequent afternoon crashes causing five injuries, among them a baby. Burgos continues efforts to preserve its rural heritage with over 36,000 autochthonous breed animals, while infrastructure developments include plans to fill the Castrovido dam for the first time since its construction planning 30 years ago.
In Salamanca, a hotel fire early Monday morning injured six guests due to a mattress catching fire from a guest's smoking, leading to hospital treatments. Additional incidents included a violent football match brawl, ongoing legal proceedings against a counterfeit money ring, and social concerns regarding the local homeless population.
These events collectively reflect pressing safety and health challenges confronting Spanish regions, with calls for coordinated governmental action and community resilience.
This article was synthesized and translated from native language sources to provide English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
