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A fire that broke out early Sunday at a nightclub complex in the southeastern Spanish city of Murcia has killed at least 13 people, authorities said, as they continued to search for missing people and identify the deceased.
More than a dozen firefighters worked to contain the fire, which spread to adjacent nightclubs in the Atalayas area, Mayor José Ballesta said in a statement on Sunday. A video and images shared by the Murcia Fire Department social media showed firefighters battling intense flames in a tight space around tables and bar stools.
A helicopter was also in use, the department tweeted. Photos of the aftermath showed a collapsed roof and blackened and gutted interiors.
⚫ Our greatest thanks go to the confidants and friends of the victims of this terrible incident 😔.
➡️ In these moments we are working in the center and securing the zone. pic.twitter.com/SBGuXsPgqB— Bomberos Murcia (@BomberosMurcia) October 1, 2023
The cause of the fire was initially unclear, but authorities are investigating.
Diego Seral, a national police spokesman, told reporters that the fire broke out at the Fonda Milagros nightclub – one of three adjacent clubs – and that that was where most of the damage occurred, according to Portal.
In a post on its Instagram page, the nightclub described the incident as “tragic” and said it was working with authorities to determine what led to the fire.
On Sunday, dazed relatives and friends waited outside the building for information about the missing people.
A witness who said his friends were still missing told Portal that he left shortly before the fire alarm sounded and the lights went out.
Three of the dead have been identified so far, Ballesta said at a news conference Sunday evening, and DNA tests are being conducted to identify the others.
The mayor mourned the deceased for three days and said King Felipe VI. I expressed my condolences to him.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed “Solidarity with the victims and relatives of the tragic fire” and offered help to the local authorities.
In 1990, at least 43 people died when a fire ravaged a basement disco in Zaragoza, northeastern Spain.