Airport worker dies following incident with tourist

In the early hours of last Saturday morning, a German tourist who had arrived with his wife and two children had left the arrivals lounge in order to have a smoke outside. The security worker - Herminia B.B., 64 from Argentina - told him that he couldn't go back to baggage reclaim. He reacted by shouting and then, as passengers were exiting, tried to get through to the reclaim area. The security worker blocked his way, at which point he pushed her. She fell and fractured a femur. The Guardia Civil detained him but he was released.

Herminia was taken to hospital and was operated on. She died on Thursday night. It is understood that she suffered from a heart condition. The Guardia say that the tourist could be re-arrested and charged with reckless homicide.

Well known at the airport, a colleague says that Herminia, who was on the point of retiring, was a fine worker and a fine person. "It is a terrible shame. I only hope that there is justice. If she had not been attacked, they wouldn't have operated, so there wouldn't have been complications and she wouldn't have died."