At least seven people died on the morning of Sunday October 1 in a fire at a nightclub in Murcia, in the south-east of Spain. This toll could rise: police and firefighters continue to search for bodies in the rubble.
“The death toll now stands at seven who died in the fire. Firefighters continue to work at the scene and do not rule out the possibility of finding new victims,” emergency services explained on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
Warned around 6 a.m. that a fire had broken out in a nightclub located in the Atalayas district of Murcia, firefighters also reported four injured, two of whom were hospitalized. They were able to enter the nightclub around 10 a.m. “once the fire had been extinguished”, and discovered “four corpses”, then two others around forty minutes later.
An hour later, the Murcia town hall announced that the death toll now stood at seven and that reconnaissance work was continuing. Four people were also injured – two women aged 22 and 25 and two men aged 41 and 45 – after inhaling smoke.
“Priority is given to locating the bodies” in the building, said a spokesperson for the national police. “Forensic police and firefighters continue to locate those who may be missing, as there was a birthday party last night and not all of the participants were found,” she continued. And added: “The investigation has not yet started since the results have not been established. Therefore, there is no preferred avenue at this time.”
“According to initial information, the fire broke out on the first floor of the nightclub, which has a ground floor and a first floor, and that is where the fire seems to have started,” explained Diego Seral , the local spokesperson for the national police, on radio Onda Regional in Murcia.
Three-day mourning in memory of the victims
Twelve emergency vehicles, forty firefighters and 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 – burned.
The mayor of Murcia, José Ballesta, declared three days of mourning in memory of the victims and the municipality set up a reception cell for their loved ones 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,” also commented the leader of the right, Alberto Nuñez Feijoo, on -east of the country.