Firefighters managed to put out the fire after rescuing four more people, who are being treated for smoke inhalation, said the mayor’s spokesman Barcelona.
Police do not believe there are other people trapped inside the building. The fire was reported to authorities at 6 am
On the floor where the family lived had been the offices of a bank, now abandoned.
A regional police spokesman told the Associated Press that an investigation had been opened into the cause of the fire.
The family, whose father was originally from Pakistan, and mother from Romania, lived for a year in the premises where they lost their lives. They earned their living by collecting and selling scrap metal.
The place has been occupied by several people since 2019, which has generated problems of coexistence. The last conflict took place just the night before the fire, a few hours before the tragedy. fire, informs La Vanguardia.
The local council was aware of the family’s situation in 2020, and provided them with food, access to schooling and medical services for minors.
Numerous abandoned buildings, unsuitable for accommodation but illegally occupied by homeless people in Barcelona and surrounding areas, pose a serious risk.
In December 2020, four people were killed after a fire devastated an industrial complex near Barcelona, illegally occupied by African migrants.
–
