At least thirteen people have died during a fire in two nightclubs – Teatre and Fonda – in Atalayas, Murcia with the blaze spreading to neighbouring premises. 112 began receiving calls around 6am reporting the fire and firefighters rushed to the scene at dawn to put out the flames. Once the fire was extinguished, they began searching for the victims and at time of going to print it is suspected that there could be more deaths.
It is believed some of those who lost their lives were celebrating a 30th birthday in the VIP area, which was located above the main club and dance floor. Those on the lower level were able to escape the blaze, but those in the booths upstairs were trapped.
In addition to the deceased, four people were injured, all due to smoke inhalation, two women aged 22 and 25 and two men aged 41 and 45. Medical and transport ambulances were dispatched and two of those affected were taken to hospital.
Firefighters and experts from the Rescue Consortium battled to extinguish the flames and a total of 12 fire vehicles and 40 personnel continued working after putting out the fire to secure the area.
There are specialised units from the Murcia Police Headquarters investigating the fires at the scene in order to determine the origin and determine a timeline of events. Members of the murder squad have also joined the investigation. According to reports in the regional daily newspaper Informacion an investigation is being carried out to see if the fire could have started due to a short circuit in one of the lights in the nightclub. It also quotes sources claiming that the flames spread quickly and that the roof collapsed an hour after the firefighters arrived on scene. According to these sources the victims were on the upper floor and were taken by surprise by the flames and could not get out due to the layout of the club.
Murcia City Council has set up an area in the Palacio de los Deportes for families and those affected by the deaths, where they will receive psychological support and access to the specialised emergency services working the investigation. The Mayor of Murcia, José Ballesta, travelled to the area and already declared three days of official mourning for the victims. The General Director of Security and Emergencies, Ricardo Villalba, was on site coordinating with the Murcia City Council and providing the necessary means to manage the tragedy. The Vice President and Minister of the Interior, Emergencies and Territorial Planning, Jose Ángel Antelo, also travelled to the scene.