At least 13 people have been killed in a fire in adjoining nightclubs in Murcia in southeast Spain, with rescuers still searching for people unaccounted for after the blaze.
The fire broke out in the early hours of Sunday morning. The venues have been named locally as Teatre and neighbouring nightspots Fonda Milagros and Golden.
Spanish media reported several birthday celebrations were taking place at the time.
The father of a 28-year-old woman said to be “missing” following the blaze revealed she had sent her mum a WhatsApp audio message saying: “Mummy, I love you, we are going to die.”
The man, named only as Jairo, shared the message with journalists gathered near the scene of the tragedy.
He said it was sent at 6.06am on Sunday morning.
Jairo said the phone went off after the message, in which the voices of terrified people shouting in the background could be heard, was sent.
The unnamed woman who left the desperate audio message is said to have gone to one of the venues affected by the blaze with her boyfriend and friends from the town of Caravaca de la Cruz about 50 minutes’ drive away from Murcia.
🔥🚒🔥Siguen las tareas de extinción del incendio de la discoteca de Atalayas. El helicóptero de la @dgsce_RM finalmente no ha sido necesario. Medios de @BomberosCEIS_RM se han incorporado a las tareas de extinción. pic.twitter.com/MCIqEDpZdW
— 112 Región de Murcia (@112rmurcia) October 1, 2023
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Alan Antonio Antia, who lives in Murcia, told local press he had been at Fonda Milagros next to Teatre.
He had gone home after a dinner there which ended with part of the group, consisting of 20 people from Nicaragua and Ecuador, partying afterwards at the venue.
He returned after receiving a call on his mobile about the tragedy.
Alan said: “Of the 20 people in my group, nine didn’t come out. They have told us they have found six bodies, this is agony.
“I don’t know why they are saying the bodies are in the Teatre nightclub, because when I arrived Teatre was closed.”
Speaking to local paper La Verdad de Murcia, he said the people that hadn’t managed to get out included a woman called Tania and her husband Jon, who was the only one in the group who wasn’t from Nicaragua and was born in Ecuador.
He named some of the others as Sergio, his cousin Eric and a woman called Porfilia, saying they were there to celebrate Eric’s 30th birthday and those who attended the party had been living and working in Murcia for years.
A spokesperson for Teatre denied any of the victims in this morning's fire had been in that nightclub and insisted the blaze started at a venue she named as Fonda Milagros.
Maria Dolores Abellan, co-owner of Teatre, said: “It appears the fire started in Fonda Milagros and spread from there.
“We are not aware of any victims in Teatre.”
Forty firefighters were involved in the operation to extinguish the blaze.
Police say an area has been sent aside at a sports arena in Murcia where survivors and relatives of those affected can receive expert psychological counselling.
Although they have not yet said how they believe the fire started, investigators are known to be looking at the possibility an electrical short-circuit was to blame.
Sources said the flames spread rapidly and led to the collapse of a ceiling.
Murcia City Hall said it was declaring three days of mourning.
It said in a statement: “Murcia’s mayor Jose Ballesta has declared three days of official mourning for the people who have died in the fire at the nightclub Teatre.
“He also sends his condolences, in the name of the entire city council, to the relatives and friends of the victims.” – Additional reporting: Reuters
