The 14-storey building in the Campanar district of Valencia was engulfed in flames on Thursday.
The fire started around 17:20 on Thursday afternoon on the fourth floor. In just half an hour, the flames had engulfed the entire building, reports say The country.
According to the newspaper, people have been standing on their balconies in the burning high-rise waiting for help. The firefighters urged them to put damp rags in the door cracks. In total, the building accommodates 138 homes with approximately 450 residents.
At an early stage, local authorities stated that at least four people had died, while another 14 were missing. On Friday, the city’s mayor announced that the number of confirmed deaths had risen to ten, Reuters reports.
15 people are said to have been injured in connection with the fire.
Winds exacerbated the spread
Thursday’s strong winds are said to have worsened the spread of the fire in the house and the authorities urged residents of nearby buildings to leave their homes due to the risk of spread.
16 fire engines are said to have been on site to try to extinguish the fire. The Spanish Ministry of Defense also called in the military from the capital Madrid to help with the extinguishing work.
Several firefighters were injured in the violent fire. Experts tell the Spanish newspaper The world that the facade of the high-rise building was insulated with polyurethane, a plastic material that can be flammable and which, among other things, was behind the catastrophic fire in Grenfell Tower in London in 2017.
A field hospital was also mobilized next to the building.
The Prime Minister: “Dismayed”
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez writes in a post on X that he is “dismayed by the terrible fire” and that he has spoken with the mayor of Valencia and offered all the help that may be needed.
“I want to express my support for all those affected and gratitude to the rescue personnel,” he writes.
