(Madrid) At least 13 people died Sunday morning in a fire at a nightclub in Murcia, in southeastern Spain, a death toll that continues to rise as police continue to search for bodies in the rubble.
“Six new bodies were found in the rubble of the nightclub. The death toll stands at 13. Other victims are still possible,” emergency responders announced shortly before 2 p.m. (8 a.m. Eastern time).
A few minutes earlier, the mayor of Murcia, José Ballesta, had explained to the press at the scene of the tragedy, announcing an extraction of four corpses that others were still stuck and had not ruled out the possibility of finding more other bodies in the rubble.
“Firefighters continue to work at the scene and do not rule out the possibility of finding new victims,” emergency services have been warning for several hours.
PHOTO JAVIER CARRION, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
The fire, which broke out around six a.m. (midnight Eastern time) in this nightclub located in the Atalayas district of Murcia was “inside extremely serious”, explained the mayor.
The firefighters, dispatched to the site at 7 a.m., managed to put out the fire at 8 a.m. but “there are still bodies to be removed” from the rubble, a complicated task given the “proven risk of collapse”, said the Edile.
Four people were also injured — two women aged 22 and 25 and two men aged 41 and 45 — after inhaling smoke.
“The area is still being recognized,” insisted the mayor.
“Priority is given to locating the bodies” in the building, a spokesperson for the national police told AFP.
“The forensic police and firefighters continue to locate the possible missing people because there was a birthday last night and not all the participants were found,” she continued.
“The investigation has not yet started since the results have not been established. Therefore, there is no preferred avenue at the moment,” she added.
“Experts from the scientific and judicial police have been deployed […] to investigate,” announced the national police on the social network X, while according to the first information provided by the authorities, the fire broke out on the first floor of the nightclub.
Three days of mourning
Twelve emergency vehicles, 40 firefighters, as well as around twenty police officers were needed to put out the flames according to the authorities.
According to the photos released by the emergency services, it is the Teatre nightclub, whose front – which was yellow and red – was devoured by the flames.
PHOTO BOMBEROS/AYUNTAMIENTO DE MURCIA VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
The photos show water hoses from fire trucks continuing to spray the blackened facade in a street invaded by emergency vehicles, with thick smoke escaping from the roof of the nightclub.
The Prime Minister in office, Pedro Sanchez, expressed on
The mayor of Murcia declared three days of mourning in memory of the victims and the municipality set up a reception cell for the victims’ relatives at the Atalayas Sports Palace.
“I am truly sorry and I want to accompany the families of the victims of the fire this morning in Murcia in their pain. All my recognition and gratitude to the emergency services,” said right-wing leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo, also on X.
In 1990, 43 people died in a fire at a nightclub in Zaragoza (Aragon, North-East).