“I feel like I’m dying,” she said—and died hours later: Barcelona sanitation worker’s death sparks investigation

A 51-year-old woman working in sanitation for the city of Barcelona passed away just hours after finishing her work cleaning the streets amid a heatwave. Spanish authorities have launched an investigation into her death, with initial assessments suggesting she may have succumbed to extreme heat exposure while on duty. The woman, named Monserrat, was working in the Old Town area of Barcelona on Saturday evening. According to her sister, she died at home later that day. She had reportedly told a colleague, ‘I feel like I’m dying.’ Temperatures in Barcelona reached 30.4°C on Saturday, according to Spain’s meteorological agency AEMET. Heatwaves can lead to fatal heatstroke or exacerbate underlying conditions such as respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, particularly among vulnerable groups like the elderly. Last year, Spain recorded 2,032 heat-related deaths, according to the Ministry of Health—a number lower than those reported in 2022 and 2023. This past weekend marked the first heatwave of the summer season in Spain.