At least four dead and 19 missing in a fire devouring two buildings in Valencia

A fire engulfing two towers of 14 and 10 stories respectively, in an apartment complex in Valencia last night, Thursday, has left at least four people dead, 19 missing, and 14 injured (six firefighters and the rest civilians), as reported by Valencia's emergency subdirector, Jorge Suárez, late last night.

The toll is still considered provisional and may rise this morning (Friday) as daylight breaks. The flames spread rapidly across the facade, and a massive column of smoke could be seen from various nearby towns throughout the late afternoon and evening.

It was well past midnight when the emergency subdirector confirmed these figures, accompanied by top regional and local authorities. He mentioned that a drone from the emergency services had recorded images of four charred bodies on a balcony and inside an apartment.

During the extinguishing efforts, firefighters successfully rescued a man and a woman trapped on a balcony, meanwhile, some residents on lower floors managed to save their lives by jumping onto emergency inflatable air beds placed by the firefighters.

Cooling the Building

Firefighters have been tirelessly cooling the burned buildings throughout the night, and by early morning, there were no more visible flames. They are continuing to cool the structures, and the area remains cordoned off.

The fire had started, for reasons still unknown, just before six in the evening in an apartment on the seventh floor of the building, consisting of two apartment towers located in the Campanar neighbourhood of Valencia, near the beginning of the Turia Gardens and between several main streets in the city.

It then quickly spread across the entire facade within minutes. After receiving the first alert from residents, multiple firefighting units were urgently dispatched to the scene. Ambulances and police were also mobilised. The intensity of the flames was so great that a significant part of the area near the affected building had to be evacuated.

The wind worked against the firefighters throughout the evening, causing the water from their hoses not to reach the facade. Consequently, efforts focused on saving about three floors that had not yet caught fire on one of the towers. The high flammability of the building, apparently coated with polyurethane panels, fuelled the fire voraciously, which detached and fell ablaze onto the street, causing panic among witnesses and residents below.

Rescue from a Balcony

Firefighters directed their efforts to access the sixth and seventh floors of the building, where residents were reportedly trapped, and meanwhile, a man and a woman cried for help from a balcony. The couple attempted to jump to another apartment while firefighters tried to reach them. Fortunately, the pair were eventually rescued around eight in the evening.

According to emergency service sources, residents had informed the initial arriving police officers that most of the residents had left their homes, but there was uncertainty about the whereabouts of others. In total, around 450 people resided in the two tower blocks. One of them alone had nearly 140 apartments.

Videos recorded by residents went viral after being shared on WhatsApp groups. One of the most widely shared videos showed a firefighter jumping from a height of approximately 10 metres onto an inflatable mattress deployed by his colleagues. Another video captured the precise moment of the rescue using a truck's ladder of the two people trapped on a balcony.

Firefighters, Police, Medical Personnel... and now the military

In addition to a dozen firefighting units from the capital of Valencia, units from the National and Local Police, in the Campanar neighbourhood where the residential building practically burned on all sides, there were five SAMU (Emergency Medical Service) units deployed, along with two basic life support units, two conventional ambulances, two primary care medical teams, a support and coordination unit, a multiple victim care vehicle, and a field hospital.

There was also a team of psychologists to attend to the families of the victims and residents affected by this tragic incident.

Late last night, the Military Emergency Unit (UME) confirmed that it was sending two divisions to combat the flames and assist in the subsequent rescue efforts after receiving a request for help from the Valencian Government.

One of them was activated from its base in the municipality of Bétera (Valencia) with firefighting equipment, fire engines, and a medical unit. The other departed from Torrejón de Ardoz (Madrid) with more potent resources, including a drone unit, which is expected to help arrive this morning.