By Alberto Saiz -
The Associated Press
A fire destroyed two residential buildings this Thursday in the city of Valencia, in eastern Spain, leaving at least four dead and more than a dozen injured.
The incident caused residents to flee to their balconies, where they were rescued by firefighters, authorities said.
Firefighters rushed to the scene in the city center, where
flames could be seen coming out of the windows
of the 14-story residential building where the fire apparently started.
Firefighters used a crane to rescue two residents from one of the balconies.
A person waits to be rescued on a balcony of a burning building, in Valencia, Spain, on February 22, 2024. Associated Press
Soldiers from the Spanish Military Emergency Unit were also deployed and doctors set up a large tent to care for the wounded at the scene.
The fire caused clouds of black smoke that could be seen from afar.
The State Meteorological Agency (Aemet) reported winds of up to 60 km/h at that time.
[Brazilian footballer Dani Alves sentenced to four and a half years in prison in Spain for raping a young woman]
The fire started early in the afternoon and spread to an adjacent building, according to the EFE agency.
According to the first reports from emergency services, there are at least 13 injured with
fractures, burns and smoke inhalation
.
Among the 13 injured there are six firefighters.
It was unclear how many people were in the buildings or how many were rescued.
The President of the Spanish Government, Pedro Sánchez, published
a
message on the social network
"I want to convey my solidarity to all the people affected and recognition to all the emergency personnel who responded to the scene," Sánchez said.