Married couple dies after using barbecue to keep themselves warm in Cáceres

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The Nicaraguan pair's three children and a nephew were also in the house where the incident happened, but were found unharmed

María José Torrejón / Cristina Núñez

Cáceres

Wednesday, 24 December 2025, 08:11

A married couple from Nicaragua were found dead on Tuesday in Cáceres, in western Spain's Extremadura region, due to the possible inhalation of carbon monoxide from the barbecue they had installed in their room to heat the property. The National Police in Cáceres confirmed the death of these two people, while their relatives, at the scene, explained the likely cause of death of these two migrants.

The pair's three children and a nephew were also in the house in the Plaza 8 de Septiembre in the Extremaduran capital where the incident happened, but were unharmed. The bodies of Joel Antonio Quijano, 43, and his wife Marta were taken to the Institute of Legal Medicine in Cáceres to determine the exact causes of death, although the National Police ruled out the involvement of third parties.

The alarm was raised by one of Joel's work colleagues, Rafael Fleitas, who missed him in the morning when he did not arrive at the meeting point to go to Malpartida, where his company is located. After arriving at the office and informing his boss, Rafael went to his friend's house. In the meantime, his employer called the emergency services, who arrived at the scene at around 9am.

Once inside the building, the emergency services had to force open the bedroom door, as it was locked with a latch. There they found the Nicaraguan couple, who had been living in the city for several years, dead. Joel arrived in Spain first, and then the rest of his family was able to join him. The couple's children were 12, 14 and 21 years old, respectively. The emergency services and police officers who had been sent to the scene remained there until almost midday.

The 'sweet death'

Carbon monoxide poisoning, a possible cause of this tragic event, occurs when this toxic gas is inhaled and replaces oxygen in the blood, depriving vital organs such as the brain and heart of oxygen. It causes symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea and eventually coma and death. It is also known as 'sweet death' and often occurs in the colder months of the year when unsafe or inappropriate heating methods are used.

The death of this couple happened on one of the coldest days so far this winter in Extremadura, with highs of no more than 10C and lows of only two to three degrees, although the wind chill makes it feel even colder.