A fire broke out at midnight local time on Monday inside a high-rise residential block in the seaside town near Benidorm, Spain. A child, his father, and his grandmother died in it, officials said.
A police spokesman said the fire broke out on the 11th floor of a 24-story apartment block in the town of Villajoyosa shortly before 2:30 a.m. local time on Monday.
Rescuers evacuated 120 people from the block, and 15 were taken to the hospital, including a local policeman.
Villajoyosa Mayor Marcos Zaragoza told reporters that the victims were members of the same family—aa young boy, his father, and his grandmother.
Firefighters said the fire was put out shortly before 4 a.m., and residents were allowed to return home.
The police said it was not immediately clear what caused the fire. However, media reports have mentioned excessive use of electrical plug-sockets.
This fire happened 10 days after another fire in the same area. Earlier in the port city of Valencia, 10 people died in a fire that broke out in a 14-story high-rise building and an adjacent 10-story block.
That fire in Valencia shocked Spain. Witnesses said the fire quickly spread to the block of 138 flats.
Officials said the fire spread so quickly due to strong winds at 60 kilometers per hour. Also, experts said the structure was covered with highly flammable cladding.
Earlier in October 2023, 13 people died in a nightclub fire in neighboring Murcia. Six people have been charged as part of the investigation and could face up to nine years in prison if the death is found to be due to negligence.
