Still missing
Fire inferno in Valencia: 10 confirmed dead already
The number of deaths in the devastating fire disaster in Valencia has now risen to ten. "We can confirm that the police have identified ten fatalities after an initial search", the representative of the central government in the autonomous community of Valencia, Pilar Bernabé, told journalists on Friday.
Carlos and Dani, two 16-year-old boys, said they watched "stunned" from a nearby park as the fire ate its way up towards the roof within minutes on Thursday afternoon. "It flickered along the metal panels of the façade or behind them, but always upwards," Carlos told the newspaper "El País". The two also reported people screaming for help on their balconies. When firefighters with turntable ladders and rescue cages rescued two residents from a balcony already threatened by the flames, the people in front of the building applauded and cheered.
So far, five people had been reported dead in the major fire on Thursday. Four bodies had already been recovered the previous night. These were a married couple and their two children, as the newspaper "La Vanguardia" reported, citing investigative circles. The death of a fifth person was then confirmed on Friday.
Up to 15 missing
Valencia's mayor, María José Catalá, announced in the morning that up to 15 residents of the residential complex, which had completely burnt out the previous day, were still missing. The fire had broken out the previous day in one of the 143 apartments in the modern building complex:
The flames then spread rapidly to the entire building. Experts cited flammable façade cladding and strong winds as possible causes for the rapid spread of the fire.
No cheap buildings: Spain in shock
Spain was in shock after the fire disaster in the Mediterranean metropolis. Many Spaniards were also shocked by the speed with which the fire spread from one apartment to the entire complex. Engineer David Higuera can only attribute the explosive spread of the fire to flammable parts of the façade cladding. The huge black cloud of smoke above the building can hardly be explained in any other way. Strong winds had also fanned the fire.
Millions of Spaniards live in such large housing complexes, most of which were built during the construction boom before the financial crisis of 2008. These are not social housing, but often high-end condominiums with communal pools, smart green areas, elevators and underground parking. Quite a few residents of such complexes are probably taking a closer look at the façade of their apartment building.
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