Death toll rises to 10 after massive fire in Spain torches two residential buildings
The death toll from a massive fire that torched two residential buildings in Spain has risen to 10, officials announced on Saturday.
Forensic police in Valencia found the 10th victim — believed to be the last missing person —- inside the charred building, national government delegate in Valencia Pilar Bernabé told reporters.
Authorities are conducting DNA testing to confirm the identities of all the victims, she said.
The blaze appeared to start in one residence on Thursday afternoon, and, within just an hour, engulfed the entire 14-story apartment block in flames as winds up to 40 mph whipped through the southern port city.
Dramatic footage from the scene showed enormous plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky, visible for miles. Some 22 teams of firefighters responded to try and put out the inferno.
Officials said it was unclear how many people were in the two buildings when the fire broke out, but the complex had some 140 apartments.
At least 15 people, including a 7-year-old child and seven firefighters, were treated for various injuries, regional governor Carlos Mazon said.
All missing persons have been accounted for, but Bernabé said authorities would continue to sift through debris for additional remains.
Some residents and officials are already raising questions about whether the construction materials used on the building’s façade may have fueled the spread of the fire.
Esther Puchades, deputy head of Valencia’s Industrial Engineers Association (COGITI), told local media the fire spread so rapidly due to a highly combustible polyurethane cladding, CBS News reported.
Luis Ibanez, who lives nearby, told TVE he saw the flames take over the building in a matter of minutes.
“(It was) as if it was made of cork,” he said. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The whole side of the building directly opposite was on fire, from the first floor to the sixth and seventh floor.”
However, Valencia Mayor María José Catalá said the fire’s cause was still unknown and that it was too early to comment on whether some materials might have worsened it.
Neighbors described seeing the flames rapidly rip through the complex, with residents trapped on balconies and children screaming for help.
Those displaced by the fire, including a number of Ukrainian refugees who lived there, were put up in local hotels but are supposed to be moved elsewhere sometime this weekend.
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