Barcelona opens investigation after street cleaner dies during heatwave

The Barcelona City Council is under fire following the death of a municipal street cleaner on Saturday, shortly after finishing her shift amid the ongoing heatwave.

The 51-year-old woman had worked from 2.30 pm to 9.30 pm in the city's Gothic Quarter. On that day, Barcelona recorded temperatures over 35°C.

According to several reports, she collapsed suddenly at home while having dinner. Although emergency services responded quickly, they were unable to save her.

Initial response from city council

In its first public statement on Monday morning, the city council ruled out launching an internal investigation.

Officials stated that FCC, the subcontracted company the deceased worked for, had complied with all heatwave-related safety protocols.

This was confirmed on Sunday by Carlos Vázquez, director of the City Cleaning Service, who said FCC had submitted a report demonstrating adherence to the city's heat protocol guidelines.

New evidence raises questions

The case took a sudden turn when several media outlets published information on Monday evening indicating that the worker had exhibited symptoms while on the job.

According to El País, the woman wrote in a WhatsApp message to a friend: "Hi, honey. Sorry for not getting back to you earlier. I had a really bad afternoon. Not just because of the mess, but because I thought I was dying. I had pain in my arms, chest, and neck, like cramps. I was on Campellans," a street near Barcelona Cathedral where she was working.

The family said that she also told her mother about her condition when she arrived home and informed her shift supervisor.

Family members said she had no known prior health issues and suspect she died of heatstroke.

They intend to file a formal complaint once the autopsy results are available.

City council rectifies

Following the new revelations, the city council reversed its position and announced on Monday evening that it would open a preliminary investigation into FCC, the company responsible for the worker's contract.

While initially ruling out an inquiry, the council now says that “in light of the new information available,” it will proceed with an investigation to clarify the circumstances surrounding the worker’s death.

On Tuesday, city authorities will hold a meeting with the four different companies cleaning the city to study the different heat protocols in place.

Although, "no one knows, at the current time, the causes of the death" of the worker, Laia Bonet, deputy mayor and head of the urban services, told media outlets on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, CCOO labor union criticized the city council for not launching an investigation from the first moment. "The city council cannot U-turn on these cases, what they should have had to do is open an investigation from the first moment," Isabel Guitiérrez, secretary general of CCOO Hàbitat in Catalonia, said.

At the same time, the CGT labor union said that there are two more workers in hospital due to their risk after working under intensive heat.