Spain fire: four dead in Valencia apartment block blaze, says official

A high-rise apartment block in Valencia, Spain was destroyed by a fierce fire that claimed the lives of at least four people. Despite having to cope with strong winds, firefighters managed to extinguish the flames.

Emergency services reported that a total of 14 individuals, including a young child who is 7 years old, received medical attention for injuries of different levels. Out of the total number, 12 were moved to hospitals for further treatment.

Earlier, the authorities in charge of responding to emergencies reported that seven individuals sustained minor injuries, primarily caused by breathing in smoke.

According to an anonymous source from the city council who spoke with Agence France-Presse, there is a possibility that the number of casualties could increase as 19 individuals are currently unaccounted for.

Reporters were informed by Jorge Suarez Torres, the deputy director of emergency services in the Valencia region, that four individuals have indeed passed away.

Photographs displayed fire and huge quantities of dark smoke covering the structure located in the Campanar locality towards the west of Valencia. 22 sets of firefighters were summoned to combat the blaze, which further extended its reach to an adjacent building.

According to TVE, a public television station in Spain, there were over 130 apartments in the 14-story structure that had rapidly become a "skeleton".

According to witnesses and emergency responders, a fire broke out on the fourth floor around 5:30pm and quickly spread throughout the building, as evidenced by photos showing flames and thick, dark smoke taking over the area.

Esther Puchades, deputy head of Valencia’s industrial engineers association, talked to local TV station A Punt and stated that the fire had quickly spread due to the usage of polyurethane cladding on the building's surface. This material is known for being highly flammable, which aggravated the situation.

Back in June 2017, Grenfell Tower, which was a towering building having 24 storeys located in West London, was tragically caught in a fire that killed 72 people. The cause of the fire was the flammable cladding attached to the building's exterior, which accelerated the blaze at a breakneck pace. Currently, a public investigation is taking place to determine the underlying causes behind this catastrophic incident.

According to Luis Ibáñez, a person living in a neighboring building, he witnessed the block being engulfed in flames shortly after looking out of his window. He compared the speed at which the flames spread to cork being burnt.

"I was in disbelief when I saw it," he stated. "The entire side of the building across from me was ablaze, spanning from the lower level to the higher levels on floors six and seven.

The wind was incredibly powerful, causing the fire to rapidly expand towards the left.

Vicente, a resident, shared that upon his return, he saw the building on fire. He mentioned to TVE that he believed everyone was rescued beforehand. He expressed his certainty, stating, “I think they all got out.”

A video circulating on social media, later shared by Spanish media agencies, exhibited a situation where a man and his daughter were rescued from a balcony where they got stuck.

Valencia's mayor, María José Catalá, kindly requested locals to avoid the fire area to allow emergency services to carry out their job efficiently.

According to a lady who manages a flower store close by, she mentioned on the television that the structure is not older than 14 years, and it comprises of over 100 dwelling places, all of which are currently inhabited.

She explained that the main factor responsible for the fire's rapid spread was the wind. The situation was described as chaotic as the flames consumed everything in sight, disrupting traffic and filling the air with thick smoke.

In his blog post about X, Pedro Sánchez, the leader of Spain, expressed his deep sadness and surprise upon hearing the news about the destructive fire. He stated that he had been in communication with the mayor and regional leader to provide any assistance necessary and gave his sympathies to all those impacted by the tragic event.

A fire destroyed a nearby nightclub in the Murcia area in October of last year. It resulted in the loss of 13 lives, making it the deadliest nightclub fire in Spain in the last 30 years.

As a part of the inquiry into manslaughter, six individuals have been charged and could be imprisoned for a maximum of nine years if it is determined that the deaths were caused by carelessness.