A heavy fire broke out in the afternoon in a 14-storey building in Valencia.
A field hospital has been set up and it is unclear how many have been injured.
– People were desperate and shouted. There were people who couldn’t find their children and one person fainted, says a neighbor in the area.
The fire started on one of the lower floors on Thursday but quickly spread to the rest of the building. In just half an hour, the entire building must have been engulfed in flames, reports El Pais.
La Vanguardia reports that it is blowing strongly at the site, which has made the work of the rescue services more difficult. A neighbor states that the fire spread in just 15 minutes and that he heard several explosions.
– People were desperate and shouted. There were people who couldn’t find their children and one person fainted, says the neighbor.
It is unclear how many people have been injured in connection with the fire. A field hospital has been set up nearby as it is feared that there are a large number of victims. The Minister of Health, Marciano Gómez has also been involved in the work to facilitate the management of more resources.
Several people have so far been taken to hospital, a couple of them are firefighters who were burned when they tried to put out the fire.
Military support was deployed
Pictures from the scene showed rubble from the building being thrown loose. The public was asked to stay away from the scene for safety reasons and to facilitate the work of the emergency services.
The Spanish military unit for crisis situations, UME, was also called in.
Valencia’s mayor, María José Catalá has spoken out about the fire and says she is following developments closely.
“We ask residents in other parts of the city not to be near the fire to facilitate the work of the rescue services,” writes Catalá on X.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez writes that he is horrified by the fire and is in contact with both the president and the mayor of Valencia and has offered all the help needed.
“I want to convey my solidarity to all those affected,” writes Sánchez.