Three youths, aged 20 to 22, died and several others were injured in an apartment fire in southern Spain on Tuesday morning, which may have been caused by a faulty stove, the authorities said. authorities.
According to the emergency services, the fire broke out shortly before eight o'clock in this apartment, located in a three-storey building in the center of Huelva, an Andalusian city of 140,000 inhabitants located not far from the border with Portugal.
Deaths and poisonings
According to Huelva police, the three victims died in hospital after being taken care of by firefighters.
They are “
two women and a man
” aged “
20 to 22 years old
”, who were studying at the University of Huelva, a police spokesman told AFP.
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In addition to these three people who died, a dozen people were victims of poisoning linked to smoke inhalation, according to the regional government of Andalusia.
Among them, three were hospitalized, he said in a statement.
Ongoing investigation
They were "
young people enjoying a moment of celebration
" after finishing their exams, Huelva Mayor Gabriel Cruz told reporters, referring to a "
huge tragedy
".
According to the police, the fire could have been caused by a defective stove installed in the living room of this four-bedroom apartment, where several mattresses had been installed to accommodate people passing through.
"
It could indeed be the cause of the fire
" but it is necessary to be "
prudent
", underlined for his part the mayor of Huelva, recalling that the origin of the disaster was still the subject of "
investigation
”.
