NIGHTCLUB FIRE KILLS 13 IN SPAIN’S MURCIA

Sun 01 October 2023:

At least 13 people died and another four were injured after a fire engulfed a nightclub in South-West Spain on early Sunday morning.

The fire happened in the Teatre nightclub in the outskirts of the city of Murcia. The Coordination Center for Health Alerts and Emergencies has confirmed the 13 deaths.

The four injured, who are described as two women aged 22 and 25, and two men aged 41 and 45, have been treated for smoke inhalation.

Local media reported that family members celebrating a birthday were among the dead.

One of the the birthday party attendees – who was at the club with his cousins and aunt – said he returned home during the chaos, only to be told that one of his cousins had not left, La Verdad de Murcia newspaper reported.

It is not clear if the cousin was among those confirmed dead.

Police have confirmed that all of those who died were at La Fonda, but added 14 people were still unaccounted for. They warned the number of deaths would probably rise.

The Mayor of Murcia Jose Ballesta told the media that the fire started at around 6:00 local time (0400 GMT) on the first floor of the nightclub, burning down part of the ceiling.

“We are destroyed by this,” said Ballesta. The City Hall has decreed a three-day mourning for the victims, and family members of the victims can receive help at a counseling and psychological center set up at the local sports hall, he added.

According to local authority, 40 firemen have been working on the site and there might be more victims underneath the collapsed ceiling. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

This is believed to be the country’s worst nightclub fire in more than 30 years. In 1990, 43 people were killed in a blaze in a venue in Zaragoza.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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