A British tourist has died after falling down a stairwell at a hostel in Tarragona, Spain, where he was staying with a friend. The man lost his balance as he headed back to his room early on Sunday morning, and a local doctor who rushed to his aid was unable to save him.
Investigation launched after early-morning incident
The accident happened at around 1am at the Tarragona Hostel in the city centre. Three ambulances were sent to the scene as part of the emergency response, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police have launched an investigation, but sources say everything points to the fall being an accident and it is not being treated as a crime at this stage. The ongoing probe is being led by the regional Mossos d'Esquadra police force.
Victim was visiting a friend in Barcelona
The man who died is understood to have been visiting a British friend living in Barcelona, and the pair had travelled north to Tarragona for a weekend getaway. Unconfirmed local reports said the Brit had been drinking before he fell.
The post-mortem and interviews with witnesses and the man's friend are set to help determine whether alcohol was a contributing factor. The Brit, believed to be aged around 40, has not been named.
Previous incident near Tarragona
On September 4, a British holidaymaker drowned after jumping from a ferry near Tarragona in an apparent attempt to swim to the coastline with his brother. The younger sibling reached shore, but the other failed to make it.
The pair were said to have been drunk when they jumped overboard shortly before the last ferry of the day reached the Costa Dorada town of Salou. The 45-year-old victim and his 43-year-old sibling had been on the boat with their parents, who were stopped when they reached port and were later told one of their sons had died after his body was recovered following a search involving coastguards and police.
