On Friday, firefighters and military experts were assessing the risks of entering an apartment block in Valencia, a city in eastern Spain, that was devastated by a fire. In the accident, four people lost their lives and another 14 are still missing.
The mayor of Valencia, María José Catalá, explained that the risk of collapse of the 14-story building and the intense heat that still emanated from the structure prevented rescue teams from searching for possible survivors, reported AP.
About 15 hours following the fire started, firefighters continued to cool parts of the devastated building with hoses. Catalá added that six injured people, including four firefighters, remained hospitalized in the city.
It is still unknown how many people were in the building at the time of the disaster, but it is estimated that dozens of people have lost their homes and belongings.
Authorities indicated that residents were relocated to hotels or the homes of relatives or neighbors.
Firefighters responded quickly to the fire, which was located on the outskirts of the city center, on Thursday night. Flames might be seen coming out of the windows and they used a crane to rescue two residents from one of the balconies.
FIRE IN VALENCIA
The fire started in one part of the complex and spread to an adjacent building. The cause of the fire was still unknown Friday morning.
Catalá mentioned that it was too early to comment on media reports that suggested the fire might have spread quickly due to the materials used in the construction of the building, which is regarding 15 years old.
The fire generated clouds of black smoke visible from a distance. Aemet, the state meteorology agency, said that at the time of the incident, winds in the area reached up to 60 kilometers per hour (40 mph).
This is how the fire spread in the Valencia building, minute by minute pic.twitter.com/MZi7MXLb2U
— EL PAÍS (@el_pais) February 23, 2024
A terrible fire devours two complete buildings on Maestro Rodrigo Avenue in València and leaves 4 dead and 19 missing.
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For @levante_emv pic.twitter.com/6Hu952YJOe— Germán Caballero (@gcaballero1) February 23, 2024
#fire #leaves #dead #preliminary #missing
