Laurence Dollimore
A WOMAN has been announced dead following a ‘freak’ explosion at an Andalucian hotel.
Local Maria de la Luz Morillo, 33, died today after suffering burns on 90% of her body following a fire at the 100% Fun hotel in Tarifa, Cadiz.
The flames began after a generator exploded, sending sparks into the kitchen and setting fire to a vat of cooking oil on Saturday night, revealed Olive Press sources.
Morrillo was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Hospital Virgen del Rocío in Sevilla, where five others remain, all in a serious condition.
According to sources at the hospital, the remaining seven victims have burns between 30% and 60% of their bodies.
The eighth wounded is recovering at the Hospital Puerta del Mar, but has burns on 90% of his body.
The incident occurred at about 19:40 on Saturday in the kitchen of the Russian-owned hotel, when the eight employees, four men and four women, were having dinner.
There was an explosion in an Endesa electricity transformer box, which brings electricity to the hotel.
A local British hotelier told the Olive Press: “It was the hottest day of the year and the electricity demands were enormous at all the nearby hotels.
“I really don’t know who is to blame, but as I understand it, it was a spark that lit the cooking oil at the restaurant and it all went up very quickly.
“It was just before the restaurant was due to open.”
In a statement released today, the power company Endesa regretted the death of the woman.
It said it has launched an investigating into what happened, adding that the explosion was something ‘exceptional’.
