“As if the building were made of cork, it suddenly burst into flames and was destroyed in a very short time,” a neighbor of the burned-out residential complex in Valencia told state TV station RTVE. After the fire catastrophe in the Mediterranean metropolis, Spain is in shock not only because of the mourning of at least ten dead, 15 injured and possibly even more missing people. The speed with which the fire spread from one apartment to the entire complex also frightened many Spaniards.
Four dead bodies were initially recovered during the night. It was a couple and their two children, as the newspaper “La Vanguardia” reported, citing investigative circles. On Friday, the judiciary confirmed a fifth victim. And in the afternoon, the representative of the central government in the autonomous community of Valencia, Pilar Bernabé, announced that a total of ten bodies had been found during an initial search of the burnt ruins.
“We can confirm that after an initial search, the police found ten bodies, ten fatalities,” Bernabé told reporters. The search will continue. Valencia's mayor, María José Catalá, said in the morning that up to 15 residents of the residential complex that had completely burned out the day before were missing.
Possible reason for explosive spread found
The engineer David Higuera can only explain the explosive spread of the fire with combustible parts of the facade cladding. The huge black cloud of smoke above the building can hardly be explained in any other way. Strong winds further fueled the fire.
Millions of Spaniards live in such large residential complexes, mostly built during the construction boom before the financial crisis of 2008. These are not social housing, but often condominiums for higher demands, with a communal pool, chic green areas, elevator and underground parking. Quite a few residents of such complexes are probably taking a closer look at the facade of their home with concern.
“It flickered along or behind the metal plates of the façade, but always upwards.”
Carlos and Dani, two 16-year-old boys, said they watched “stunned” from a nearby park as the fire spread toward the roof within minutes on Thursday afternoon. “It flickered along the metal panels of the facade or behind them, but always upwards,” Carlos told El País newspaper. The two also reported people screaming for help on their balconies. When firefighters used a turntable ladder and rescue basket to rescue two residents from a balcony that was already threatened by flames, people in front of the building applauded and cheered.
The images from Valencia reminded engineer Higuera of the Grenfell fire disaster in London. In June 2017, 72 people died in a high-rise building fire. There, too, the fire had spread rapidly through the facade insulation.
According to fire protection expert Esther Puchadas, who certified the house in Valencia, the facade was insulated with polyurethane. That acted as an accelerant. In view of the fire disaster, the approval of this insulation material must be reconsidered, she told the TV station À Punt. Higuera described the insulation material as “solid gasoline.”
Three-day mourning period declared in Valencia
The full extent of the destruction became visible at first light on Friday. All that remained of the residential complex, which was completed just a few years ago and of which one wing is 14 stories high and the other is twelve stories high, are charred facades in front of a reinforced concrete framework. “Valencia has never experienced such a tragedy,” said Valencia Mayor María José Catalá and declared a three-day mourning period for the city.
The fire disaster caused consternation throughout Spain. TV stations reported live in special programs. The government and opposition expressed their condolences to the victims' families and promised support to those affected. On Friday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez traveled to the scene of the accident and assured those affected of state help. Some of the now homeless residents were staying with relatives or friends, others were taken to hotels and guesthouses.
Because of the major fire, the football games planned for the weekend by the city's clubs were also canceled. The Spanish football association RFEF has granted a request from first division club Valencia CF, the club announced on Friday. The team, which is currently in eighth place in the table, should have played against Granada CF (second-to-last place in the table) on Saturday. The second division team UD Levante's match against FC Andorra on Saturday was also canceled. Now new dates would have to be found. The Spanish league also announced that a minute's silence for the victims would be held at all games this weekend.
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