An Irish pensioner has allegedly been stabbed to death in Spain.
The stabbing of the Irishman in the Benidorm resort on the Costa Blanca is said to have resulted in the arrest of a British man. Knife wounds were sustained by two men, one of whom was the Irishman who had been initially revived at the scene.
They are said to have been involved in an altercation in the town’s Rincon de Loix area which is popularly known as ‘Little England’.
The incident happened around 10.30 am on Thursday.
Spanish police reported that the 68-year-old Irishman was taken to the hospital, where he later passed away.
Emergency medical responders confirmed they had taken two men to the hospital with stab wounds but said they were unable to comment on their nationalities. Local press has described them as a British 62-year-old and an Irish 68-year-old.
A spokesman for a regional emergency response coordination centre said: “The elder of the two men was very serious and had to be revived at the scene. The younger man was less serious but was also taken to hospital with stab wounds.”
According to police sources cited by the local press, the 62-year-old was arrested at Marina Baixa Hospital in the nearby town of Villajoyosa.
It was not immediately clear on Friday morning if he was still at the hospital under police guard or was being held at a police station, and what condition the older man was in.
Avenida Estocolmo, a short distance from Benidorm’s well-known Levante Beach, is the location of the incident that police are currently investigating.
The regional emergency coordination centre spokesman said: “The alert received by paramedics was that one man was injured in the street and another inside a property.”
A police spokesman said: “We are aware of an incident and will be making an official statement later today.”
This week, Benidorm has seen a huge influx of British and Irish tourists for its annual Fancy Dress Party, which is currently marking its 25th anniversary.