In an act that can only be deliberate arson, 18 lorries from the same construction company were burned to charred wrecks. The owners put the loss at around two million euros.

The culprits drilled the fuel tanks on each and every one of the vehicles to ensure their complete destruction. Together with this small fleet of lorries, a JCB and a van were also torched. Rapid action by firemen prevented the loss of two large cranes, a steam roller, two JCB’s and a surface-levelling vehicle.

The two JCB’s that were saved were found to have soaked wool-like material in the entrance to their fuel tanks, but for some reason they had not been ignited.

All, accept one lorry belonged to Nivecotrans S.L., which although based in Baza is working on the Antequera-Babadilla section of the AVE line in Málaga. The company valued the lorries at 700,000 euros; two were quite new and the others were bought in 2005 and 2006, a company spokesman explained. However, one thing is the value of what is lost and another is how much it will cost to replace them; hence the two million figure.

The attack occurred in the early hours of Monday the 16th and was immediately spotted by the three security guards on the site. The fires were completely extinguished by 08.00h.

(News: Antequera, Malaga, Andalucia)