SPAIN: The death toll from a devastating fire that swept through three interconnected nightclubs in Spain is expected to rise further as search and rescue teams hunt for five individuals who remain missing.
The fire began in the La Fonda club in the southeastern town of Murcia around 6 a.m. on Sunday before spreading to the adjacent Teatre and Golden clubs.
Reports regarding the number of missing individuals vary, with Mayor José Ballesta mentioning that 18 people have been reported missing, though some may have already been located. Authorities are conducting an investigation into the cause of the fire.
As of late Sunday, only three bodies had been identified through fingerprint matching, while identifying the remaining victims could be a lengthy process involving DNA analysis in Madrid, which might take several days.
Among those missing are Jorge and Rosa Bajiota, a couple who traveled from the nearby town of Caravaca with two friends. During the fire, one of their friends sent an audio message to her mother expressing love and fear for their lives. Structural damage to the buildings has complicated rescue efforts.
So far, four individuals have received treatment for smoke inhalation, including two women aged 22 and 25, and two men in their forties. The national police spokesman, Diego Seral, explained that initial information suggests the fire started on the first floor of the nightclub.
Of the 13 bodies recovered to date, eleven were found on the first floor of La Fonda, while two were discovered amidst the wreckage on the ground floor, where temperatures may have reached 1,000 to 1,500 degrees Celsius.
One of the missing persons is Éric Hernández, originally from Nicaragua, who was celebrating his 30th birthday at La Fonda with friends and family, including his brother Sergio and mother Marta.
The city of Murcia has declared a three-day period of mourning to honor the victims, with flags lowered to half-mast at the city hall. Spain’s king expressed sorrow and commended the rescue workers’ efforts, while Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez offered condolences to the victims’ families.
Also Read: Spain’s Conservative Leader Feijoo Fails to Secure Enough Votes to become Prime Minister
