At least four people were killed after a huge fire ripped through two residential buildings in Valencia, Spain, with desperate residents rushing to their balconies to escape.
Around 19 people were missing and at least 13 people injured in the blaze which broke out in the city centre on Thursday evening.
Firefighters rushed to help people inside the 14-storey buildings in the Campanar area of the port city as flames burst out of windows and a cloud of black smoke rose into the night sky.
The fire that broke out around 5.30pm local time also spread to an adjoining building and people were urged to stay away. Firefighters battled to douse the flames which spread quickly due to strong winds and the material of the building.
Residents could be seen waiting for rescue on balconies, and firefighters used a crane to rescue two residents from one of the balconies.
Soldiers from Spain’s military emergency unit were deployed and medics set up a large tent to tend to the injured on the scene.
Initial emergency service reports said there were at least 13 people injured with fractures, burns and smoke inhalation. The 13 included six firefighters.
It was not immediately clear how many people were in the buildings or how many were rescued.
Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez posted on the X platform saying he was “shocked by the terrible fire in a building in Valencia“ adding that he had offered the city “all the help that is necessary.”
“I want to convey my solidarity to all the people affected and recognition to all the emergency personnel already deployed at the scene,” he said.
The building where the fire initially erupted contains 138 flats and houses some 450 residents, according to EL Pais.
A teenage boy was seen trapped on the first floor of the building and firefighters attempted to rescue him, a woman told TVE.
A resident of the second floor of the building told broadcaster La Sexta that flames overpowered the building rapidly after it reportedly started on the fourth floor.
“The fire spread in a matter of 10 minutes,” the man said. He added the material on the facade of the building could have led to fire spreading rapidly.
David Higuera, an engineer, told El País said the outer layer of the building made up of aluminium plates with a foam insulator is “very good at insulating against heat and cold, but very combustible”.
