Three killed, one drowned and 55 arrests in Catalonia during Sant Joan festivities

Three people have been killed across Catalonia during the eve of Sant Joan, two in Girona, and one in Barceloneta beach, in the Catalan capital. Meanwhile, one drowned in the seaside town of Sitges, and police arrested 55 people.

Known as the 'revetlla de Sant Joan,' the eve of Sant Joan on June 23 is traditionally referred to as "the shortest night of the year," although this is not factually accurate. 

In Barcelona, a 26-year-old Colombian was stabbed and passed away instantly, while local Guàrdia Urbana police arrested a person allegedly related to the events. The Catalan Mossos d'Esquadra police are investigating the crime.

The events took place at the Passeig Joan de Borbó boulevard, which was crowded with hundreds of people at the time.

Two dead in Girona

Meanwhile, in Girona, north of Barcelona, police are looking for the alleged responsible for the death of a 48-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman in the Font de la Pólvora neighborhood.

The events happened around 11 pm at 8 Acàcia Street.

Sources said it all started with an argument between two women, one of which is the victim.

During a moment of the battle, they started firing an AK47 firearm, according to journalist Anna Punsí. 

Bullets reached the two victims and a child. She is severely injured. The woman was also run over by the alleged perpetrators when they were running away.

She passed away at Girona's Hospital Josep Trueta.

Moments after, many relatives and friends of the victims tried to force their entry to the hospital, which saw dozens of anti-riot police deployed to the site to avoid them accessing the health center.

Meanwhile, police set up a large operation to try to find the alleged perpetrators, as they believe the perpetrators had left to go to Granada, a Spanish city in the southern region of Andalusia.

However, they do not rule out other options, such as the Catalan Alt Empordà county, as they were last seen in the town of Santa Llogaia d'Àlguema.

Sources believe the main perpetrator is a well-known arms dealer, already under the police's eye.

One drowned in Sitges

Five firefighter units, including the diving team, were deployed at the Ribera beach in Sitges, south of Barcelona, around 12:55 a.m.

Two people were rescued; one, despite trying CPR, had passed away at the age of 55. The other person, a woman, was moved to the Sant Camil hospital in the town of Sant Pere de Ribes.

Members of the Maritime Rescue unit, with a helicopter and a boat, Catalan Mossos d'Esquadra, local police, and the Red Cross were on site.

Since June 15, this is the third person drowning in the Catalan shore.

55 arrests

Mossos d'Esquadra police arrested 55 people throughout the night: 18 regarding crimes against heritage sites, three people for crimes of injuries, 11 for gender-based violence, and 23 for other crimes.

Meanwhile, law enforcement agents did 1,340 alcohol tests, with 79 people testing positive and 11 of them having a penal offense.

There have also been 11 drug-positive tests and three fines.

No fatal accidents have been reported despite 19 crashes with 10 people injured.

Overall, the 112 emergency hotline received 4,566 calls, around 1.1% more than in 2023, with Barcelonès county the one with the most calls, 3,055. Most of the calls, were related to small fires such as in containers, forested areas, or trees on fire.

Meanwhile, firefighters across Catalonia had to work on 833 different emergencies. The most virulent fires were in Torredembarra, south of Barcelona, at 1:39 am, when a fire burned the façade, ground floor, and garage of a house. No people were injured as residents were outside in the garden.

Around 1:55 am, firefighters in Lleida worked to extinguish a blaze in two manufacturing houses.

70,000 celebrate Sant Joan on Barcelona beaches

Sant Joan is one of the most celebrated days in Catalonia, with bonfires, firecrackers, a dessert called coca, and loads of open-air partying and dancing to celebrate the summer solstice. Fireworks are also one of the main ingredients of the night.

Around 70,000 people celebrated Sant Joan's Eve on Barcelona beaches, around 10,000 fewer people than last year.

Authorities consider the long weekend and lower temperatures to be the main reasons why the number has decreased.

Despite the deadly stabbing, there were no other major injuries or events during the night. Most of them were small fires due to the fireworks, which prompted firefighters to intervene in 78 acts throughout the city. 

Meanwhile, the city's cleaning brigade collected around 57 tons of garbage from the beaches.

To learn more about Sant Joan, have a listen to this episode of our podcast Filling the Sink of 2023.