In a tragic incident in the coastal city of Valencia, Spain, at least four individuals have perished in a massive blaze that engulfed a residential building.
The emergency services confirmed the fatalities early Friday morning. According to the local daily “Levante,” there are still 20 people unaccounted for, although this number was not confirmed by Jorge Suarez, the deputy director of emergency services in the Valencia region, in the initial hours of Friday morning.
Due to safety concerns, firefighters were initially unable to enter the building, as explained by Suarez.
The strategy involved extensively cooling the structure from the outside before any internal intervention could take place. Earlier reports indicated that 13 people were injured in the fire, including six firefighters.
The fire originated in an apartment on the fourth floor and rapidly spread throughout the 15-story building, which had been constructed just a few years ago.
Spanish media sources, citing experts, have attributed the rapid spread of the fire to the building’s facade, which was made of flammable materials, as well as to strong winds that fanned the flames.
This devastating event has shaken the local community and raised concerns about building safety and emergency response measures in high-rise residential structures.
