 As a result, thousands of citizens in Málaga were left defenceless and unprepared for the attacks at the hands of the Nationalist forces.Therefore, on February 8, an estimated 15,000–50,000 civilians, chiefly the elderly, women, and children, fled towards the city of Almeria nearly to the northeast via the main coastal highway, the N-340 road ("la carretera N-340").The frantic civilians travelled unprotected along the highway were slaughtered.