Spain: four dead in the collapse of a restaurant on the island of Mallorca

Four people died after the roof of a restaurant collapsed on the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca on Thursday (May 23), emergency services said. In addition, there are “21 injured to varying degrees,” a spokesperson for the emergency services of this Balearic tourist archipelago told Agence France-Presse (AFP). People of “several nationalities” were among the victims, she said, without being able to provide further details.

Seven of the injured are in “very serious” condition and nine are in “serious” condition, the emergency services said in a message on X. “They were transferred to different hospitals in Palma,” the capital of the island of Mallorca, they added.

The tragedy occurred at the end of the day in the tourist area of ??Playa de Palma, in the south of the city of Palma de Mallorca, when “the roof of a two-story building” housing a restaurant collapsed, explained the spokesperson.

Many firefighters were deployed on the scene while ambulances transported the injured to the hospital, an AFP photographer noted on site. Rescue services “continue to work on site” to check whether any victims are still trapped under the rubble, they said. The street was cordoned off by police to allow rescuers to work.

Reasons for collapse unknown

The reasons for the collapse of this restaurant are currently unknown, but according to witnesses cited by local media, the roof collapsed on part of the first floor.

This area was very busy at the end of the day when the tourist season is already in full swing in the Balearic Islands, an archipelago also including the islands of Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera.

In a message on X, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he was “closely following the consequences of the terrible collapse on Palma beach”. The socialist leader also “presented his condolences to the families of the deceased” and offered “all the necessary means and personnel” from the central State to help the regional authorities in the management of this accident.

The Balearic Islands, known for their crystal clear waters and beaches, are Spain’s second largest tourist destination after Catalonia. In 2023, they welcomed more than 14 million tourists, according to official figures. The archipelago, of which Mallorca is the main island, is particularly popular with German and British tourists.