Dead, injured

High-rise building in Valencia ablaze

At least four people died in a major fire in Valencia on Thursday.(Bild: Associated Press)

At least four people have died in a major fire in the Spanish coastal city of Valencia. 14 others were taken to hospital with injuries. According to the emergency services, the fire broke out in an apartment on the fourth floor and spread rapidly.

The building, which is only a few years old and has 138 apartments on 15 floors, was completely engulfed in flames in a very short space of time and at times resembled a huge torch. An expert said on television that the façade was made of aluminum panels with a layer of flame-retardant polyurethane foam underneath. The cause of the fire was initially unclear on Friday, but it spread rapidly due to strong winds.

The burning high-rise building in Valencia resembled a giant torch.(Bild: Associated Press)

More than a dozen people injured
According to the authorities, at least four people died and 14 are still missing. They have not yet been located. At least 14 people, including six firefighters, were taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation or burns, reported the newspaper "La Vanguardia". A neighbor from another house in the area told the state TV station RTVE that he had seen two people on a balcony of the burning building. The fire department was able to bring them to safety just in time using a turntable ladder and a rescue cage.

This is where the fire started.

Field hospital set up as a precaution
According to this information, the authorities have set up a field hospital near the blaze as a precautionary measure. In addition, help from soldiers from the military emergency aid unit UME was requested to fight the flames, RTVE reported. The UME is normally deployed in large forest fires.

Building resembled a giant torch
Social media showed how the façade of the relatively new house was ablaze from the first floor to the flat roof. The building resembled a giant torch. Burning parts of the façade, apparently made of highly flammable material, tumbled down and continued to burn.

Strong winds fanned the fire further
According to the emergency services, 16 fire engines were deployed to fight the blaze. There was a huge cloud of black smoke above the building. Strong winds fanned the fire further. The fire department cooled the largely burnt-out structure from the outside and were unable to enter the building on Thursday for safety reasons. The fire was largely extinguished by early Friday morning. All that remained was a black skeleton of reinforced concrete.

The mayor declared a three-day period of mourning for the city. "Valencia has never experienced such a tragedy", she said.