Spain: Nightclub Fire Kills 13 In Murcia

At least thirteen persons perished in a fire that engulfed three nightclubs in Murcia in southeast Spain.

The conflagration broke out in the Fonda Milagros nightclub – La Fonda – early Sunday morning.

The fire then spread to neighboring clubs as patrons fled the filled dance floors, according to the police.

Local media reported that birthday-celebrating family members were among the deceased.

La Verdad de Murcia newspaper reported that one of the birthday party guests at the club with his cousins and aunt returned home during the chaos only to learn that one of his cousins had not departed.

At least thirteen persons perished in a fire that engulfed three nightclubs in Murcia in southeast Spain.

It is unclear whether the cousin was one of the verified dead.

Police have verified that all fatalities occurred at La Fonda, but 14 individuals remain unaccounted for. They warned that the number of fatalities would likely increase.

The fire is believed to have begun around 06:00 (04:00 GMT) in the Atalayas region of Murcia, where the club is located.

After nearly 15 hours, it remains unclear what caused it. However, Murcia’s mayor, Jose Ballesta, told reporters that the fire started on the club’s first floor earlier in the day.

Diego Seral of the national police stated that the collapsed roof of La Fonda made it difficult to locate victims and determine what had transpired.

At least thirteen persons perished in a fire that engulfed three nightclubs in Murcia in southeast Spain.

According to La Verdad de Murcia, a 28-year-old woman sent a voice message to her mother when the fire broke out, saying, “Mummy, I love you, we’re going to die.”

She had gone out with her partner and some acquaintances from Caravaca de la Cruz, a nearby town. It is unclear whether she survived.

“They went because there are no nightclubs in Caravaca,” the woman’s father, Jairo, told the newspaper. “It was the second time she had been.”

Four people are being treated for smoke inhalation at a hospital, and a local sports venue is being used to counsel those affected.

“We are devastated,” said Murcia’s mayor, Jose Ballesta. Three days of mourning have been declared in Murcia.

This is believed to be the worst nightclub fire in the country in more than three decades. In 1990, 43 individuals perished in a fire at a venue in Zaragoza.

SOURCE – (BBC)