Two people were killed and 12 injured Friday night in a fire at an Italian restaurant in Madrid, apparently started by a torch intended to ignite a pizza, authorities reported on Saturday.
Two of those treated by the Samur emergency service in the Spanish capital are "
dead
", one of its officials, Montse Marcos, told reporters.
It is a restaurant employee and a customer, said the mayor of the city, José Luis Martinez Almeida, who went there on Saturday.
Twelve people were injured in the fire at this restaurant located in western Madrid, six of whom "
were transferred in serious condition to various hospitals in Madrid
", said Montse Marcos.
Open investigation
According to the mayor of the city, the drama would have occurred when a flame used to ignite a pizza spread "
to decorative elements
", in particular to plastic flowers which adorned the ceiling, and to columns.
“
One of the waiters was going to put the finishing touches on a plate using a blowtorch to flambé it.
He held the hot plate in one hand and the torch in the other.
He passed close to the plants and in a few seconds everything burned,
” a customer told the daily
El País
.
The firefighters said they were able to intervene quickly since their station was about 400 meters from the scene of the disaster, where several people ran to warn them.
Read alsoSeine-et-Marne: a young woman burned in the trachea and in the mouth after drinking apple juice
"
People ran to the fire station
," which is why "
our response time was very quick, as half of our teams ran to the scene and the other with our vehicles
," said explained to the press Carlos Marín, head of the guard team in the barracks.
A national police investigation was opened following this tragedy.