Operating license was missing

Accidental terrace on Mallorca was illegal

(Bild: APA/AFP)

After the ceiling of a club in Mallorca collapsed on Thursday evening, claiming the lives of four people, the authorities have now announced that there was no valid operating license for the balcony terrace. Only the restaurant on the first floor and the discotheque in the basement were licensed. 

The preliminary results of the investigation showed that the use of the second floor of the Medusa Beach Club was illegal, Palma's mayor Jaime Martínez told journalists on Tuesday.

Mayor: "Laws are there to be obeyed"
Martínez said that the town hall wanted to pass on the findings to the police and the public prosecutor's office and act as a joint plaintiff in a possible court case. "Laws are there to be obeyed. You can't do illegal construction work or events without a permit." Many people were injured in the incident last Thursday.

Guests could have contributed to the accident
The initial investigations had revealed that an excessive load on the illegally built terrace, which was classified as inaccessible, had led to the collapse. "We assume that 21 people were on the second floor at the time of the accident." According to the authorities, twelve Dutch guests at the restaurant were carrying tables to the terrace and putting them together before the accident. This probably contributed to the collapse.

Proceedings had been opened against the restaurant long before the collapse due to conversion work that had been carried out despite a refusal notice. On the question of culpability, the mayor said that it was impossible for the city to monitor all 5000 restaurants and bars. He announced that there would be strict controls in the summer, including on the beach. The town hall has ten inspectors for this purpose.

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Two German victims were women aged 20 and 30. A 23-year-old Spanish woman and a 44-year-old man from Senegal were also killed. Martínez said on Tuesday that three Germans were among the 14 injured who were taken to hospital after the accident, the majority of whom were Dutch: "As things stand, one person is still in hospital. But already on the normal ward."