At least four killed as blaze engulfs apartment blocks in Spain
At least four people have died and 19 are missing after a massive fire ripped through two joined apartment blocks in the Spanish city of Valencia, emergency services say, BBC reports.
The blaze engulfed a 14-storey block in the Campanar neighbourhood and spread to an adjoining building.
Firefighters were seen rescuing people from balconies.
Experts say that highly flammable cladding on the building enabled the fire to spread rapidly.
The building contains 138 flats and was home to 450 residents, newspaper El Pais reported, citing the building's manager.
At least 14 people, including six firefighters and a young child, have been injured.
More than 20 fire crews tackled the blaze, which was made worse by high winds. By early Friday the block was a giant fire-blackened shell. People were urged to stay away from the area.
Firefighters were called at around 17:30 local time (16:30 GMT). A field hospital has been set up in the area, RTVE reported. People displaced from their homes would be housed in hotels, authorities said.
Writing on X (formerly known as Twitter) Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said: "Dismayed by the terrible fire in a building in Valencia... I want to convey my solidarity to all the people affected and recognition to all the emergency personnel already deployed at the scene."
The mayor of Valencia has announced that days of official mourning will be declared in the city.
