CATALUNYA is in mourning today after five teenagers were killed and at least five others injured when a fire tore through an apartment building.
The blaze broke out on Monday night in a storage room on the rooftop of a five-storey block of flats in Manlleu, near Barcelona, according to emergency services.
The five victims – all between the ages of 14 and 18 – were unable to escape the storage room for reasons that are as yet unclear.
It is currently unknown why the young people were in the storage area, although initial reports suggested that the space had been converted for residential use.
According to El Pais, police believe the inferno may have started when a mattress was set alight.
They also believe the victims may have died from smoke inhalation.
Emergency services were called to the scene around 9.10pm on Monday night after reports of a fire and smoke on the upper floor of the apartment building.
A total of 13 firefighter crews were dispatched to the scene, plus eleven ambulances, officers from the Mossos d’Esquadra regional police force and two psychological support teams.
In a statement on X, Catalan regional president Salvador Illa said: “Deeply saddened by the death of five people as a result of a fire in a building in Manlleu.
“My heartfelt condolences to their family and friends. I wish a speedy recovery to the injured people.
“All my support to the mayor Arnau Rovira and my gratitude to the emergency services for their work.”
A spokesperson for Manlleu Town Hall said: “In these moments of grief, we stand in solidarity with the families and those close to the victims, offering them all the necessary institutional and human support.
“We are grateful for the work and professionalism of the emergency services, firefighters, health services, security forces and volunteers who intervened with the utmost speed and dedication from the very beginning.
“The Town Hall will declare three days of mourning and the flags will fly at half-mast as a sign of respect and remembrance for the victims.”
According to officials, four of the five victims were students at the nearby Antoni Pous i Argila secondary school.
In a statement, the school said: “We are aware of the impact this has had on all of us. As an educational centre, we will continue to look after the wellbeing of our students.”
Residents have been allowed to return to the apartment building after firefighters declared the site safe.
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