At least 13 people have been killed in Spain’s deadliest nightclub fire in decades, with fears the toll could rise further as emergency services search for more victims.
The cause of the blaze, which broke out early on Sunday (local time) at the Teatre venue in the southeastern city of Murcia, is not yet known.
Four others were injured: two women, aged 22 and 25, and two men, aged 41 and 45, who were all taken to the hospital due to smoke inhalation.
Survivors gathered outside the nightclub described the scene to journalists as emergency services carried out their work.
“I think we left (the club) 30 seconds – one minute before the alarms went off and all the lights went out the screams saying there was a fire,” an unidentified survivor told Reuters.
I was at place at that time where I could get out, but five family members and two friends are missing.”
A video shared by Murcia’s fire service showed firefighters trying to control flames inside the nightclub.
Police and emergency services worked to secure the interior of the club to avoid a possible collapse and were trying to locate and identify the bodies.
“We don’t know anything,” another man at the scene said.
“We are waiting for news to see whether some of our family members have come out alive.”
Read Related Also: Guildford, Sydney shooting: Gunman opens fire on parked car in city’s west
The fire marks the deadliest nightclub fire in Spain in 33 years.
A blaze in 1990 at a nightclub in northeastern Zaragoza left 43 dead.
In December 1983 81 people were killed in a nightclub blaze in Madrid, with smoke, a failure in the lighting system and a closed emergency door all contributing to the disaster.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez sent his condolences.
“My love and solidarity with the victims and families of the tragic fire that occurred this morning in a nightclub in Murcia.
“I have just conveyed to the president of the Murcia region all our support and collaboration,” Sanchez posted on X, formerly Twitter.
At the time of the incident, emergency services were dispatched, with local firefighters calling in helicopter help to tackle the blaze.
Three days of mourning have been declared in Murcia.
