Sylvie Claire / October 2, 2023
Six people died on Sunday morning in a nightclub fire in Murcia, in south-eastern Spain, and four others were injured, emergency services announced on social networks.
The "death toll stands at six", according to the emergency services, who were able to enter the building in the Atalayas district of Murcia after being alerted at around 6am that a fire had broken out in the nightclub. Emergency services were able to enter the nightclub at around 10 a.m. "once the fire had been extinguished", when they discovered four bodies, followed by two more some 40 minutes later. They added that the death toll could still rise. With several additional victims, the death toll has now risen to 13.
Four people were also injured, two women aged 22 and 25 and two men aged 41 and 45 who suffered smoke inhalation. Emergency services are also searching for eight missing friends who were celebrating their birthdays on the premises.
According to the photos released by the emergency services, this was the "Teatre" nightclub, also known as "Fonda Milagros", whose storefront had been consumed by flames. The photos show the water hoses of the fire trucks still spraying the blackened façade in a street invaded by emergency vehicles, and thick smoke billowing from the roof of the discotheque.
Emergency services are still working to put out the fire at the Teatre nightclub in Atalayas", Murcia City Council posted on "X", saying it "deeply regrets what has happened" and offering "its condolences to the family and friends". "I am truly sorry and I want to accompany in their pain the families of the victims of the fire that occurred this morning in Murcia. All my gratitude and appreciation to the emergency services", right-wing leader Alberto Núñez Feijóo also commented on the same social network.