Shock in Spain after fire in nightclub that killed 13 people

A fire destroyed three adjacent nightclubs in the city of Murcia, Spain, killing at least 13 people and leaving several missing, according to local authorities.

The event occurred this Sunday at approximately 6:00 am in the Atalayas industrial estate, on the outskirts of Murcia, where the Fonda, Teatre and Milagros nightclubs were located. Witnesses claimed that the alarms were activated and the lights went out when the fire spread through the premises.

“I think we left between 30 seconds and 1 minute before the alarms went off and all the lights went out (and) the screams saying there was a fire,” said a survivor in statements offered to Reuters, whose identity he preferred not to give. “Five relatives and two friends are missing.”

The Fonda nightclub was the most affected by the fire, where the roof collapsed. The lifeless bodies of the victims were found at the scene, reported Diego Seral, spokesperson for the National Police of Murcia, who pointed out that the fall of the structure makes it difficult to search for possible survivors among the rubble.

Although the origin of the fire is unknown, a spokesperson for the Teatre nightclub, María Dolores Albellán, told the media that it started at the Fonda Milagros, but then reached the other two clubs.

The Murcia firefighters shared images of the fire on their social networks, in which the intensity of the flames, the collapsed roof and black smoke can be seen. Four people were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

The identities of the victims have not yet been released. The authorities have specified that the number of deaths has been increasing throughout the day. Local media indicate that several birthday parties were being held in those locations when the fire occurred.

The mayor of Murcia, José Ballesta, declared three days of mourning for the deceased. The flags fly at half-mast in front of the Murcia City Hall.

With information from Fox News