The Fonda Milagros nightclub is part of a complex of four industrial warehouses converted into three entertainment venues. According to cadastral data, they were built in 1987 and are located on the same plot in Atalayas, an area in northeast Murcia.
In 2008, the Teatre opened with a license for a nightclub with a kitchen. In June 2019, a modification was requested to divide the premises into two parts: Teatre and Fonda Milagros. The new club’s social networks then announced parties and concerts at the club for three months, which continued to operate until Sunday. Below we show what it looked like inside, as can be reconstructed from the dozens of videos and images published on social networks.
The division into two floors and its arrangement with a single staircase to access the upper floor were crucial to the outcome of the fire, which was discovered around 6 a.m. on Sunday. Most of the 13 people who died were trapped on the opposite side of this escape route.
The bodies of two victims were found on the ground floor, but firefighters believe they fell there first after the building collapsed. This suggests that they were in the cabins, small boxes attached to a railing overlooking the ground floor with two sofas facing each other, separated by a curtain and a thin wall. They were arranged in a horseshoe shape over the ground floor, where there was a stage, a bar and tables.
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There was only one way to get to the boxes: the stairs that went up from one end of the horseshoe and led to the first floor, where a corridor ran behind all the boxes. Those furthest from the stairs were on the opposite side of the compound and had no other exit.
In the facility, which was richly decorated with Colombian-inspired products and objects, there were many elements that burned easily: from wooden furniture to artificial plants, including jute sacks, flags, hats, scarves and fabric posters hanging from a network of poles. Bamboo.
Decorative elements in the central area of the ground floor of the Fonda Milagros
Investigators cannot yet say where the fire came from. The fact that these were buildings designed as industrial warehouses is, as firefighters explained, relevant because they are tubular structures that collapse at very high temperatures.
The fire also spread to all rooms belonging to the industrial hall. On paper, current legislation precisely mandates the existence of fire barriers to prevent this rapid spread.
The division of the original premises into two parts had not been approved by the Murcia City Council. As shown in documents published by the city council, in June 2019 the Teatre requested a “non-substantial change” in which it intended to divide the premises between the Teatre and Fonda Milagros. Two and a half years later, in January 2022, the city council issued an order to stop operating the building because it was a “significant” change. Despite this, the shop continues to operate and promote its content on social networks. On Monday afternoon, Fonda restricted access to its content on Instagram.
Important points that are not known
Two days after the fire, some of the key questions explaining the tragedy remain unanswered. As spokesmen from both establishments exchanged accusations about the origin of the flames, it will depend on the progress of the investigation to determine where the fire started and what prevention systems each establishment had in place.
Although the City Council ordered an inspection following the cessation of activity order, the results of that inspection are not known and it is not known whether it was actually carried out. In the photos of the Fonda you can see signs of fire extinguishers, alarm buttons, some signs indicating the direction of the exit, and on the wall of the box floor there is at least one sign indicating a supposed emergency exit. At this time, authorities cannot confirm whether the ship Fonda Milagros maintained one of these evacuation routes after the split.
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