Woman dies in capital after snorting heroin over New Year

New Year celebrations in the Spanish capital and surrounding region passed off “very calmly” without any deaths or serious injuries from fights or traffic accidents. The only major incident was the death of a 25-year-old Frenchwoman, apparently from a heart attack after snorting heroin, witnesses said Wednesday.

Road accidents were down 62 percent from a year earlier, while there were also fewer traffic violations and cases of alcohol poisoning.

Emergency healthcare services were called to attend to a young French couple in the central district of Lavapiés around 4.30am. Efforts to revive the 25-year-old woman failed and she was pronounced dead shortly afterward in hospital. A 23-year-old Frenchman accompanying her, who had also been snorting heroin, lost consciousness and was taken to hospital in a serious condition.

Emergency healthcare services were called out 189 times, similar to last year’s figure of 186. At least five of these incidents were the result of road accidents, 42 for fights and 30 for cases of alcohol poisoning, down from 51 last year. Local firemen were called out 51 times but none of them for house fires. Most of the cases involved garbage containers that had been set alight, while one was to extinguish a burning car.

The municipal police were called out 838 times, up from 626 a year earlier. Six of these incidents related to overcrowding in bars and clubs or venues where there were minors present.