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Five dead and five injured after fire at Spanish apartment building

Catalonian authorities said that the fire started in the storage room of a five-story apartment block in Manlleu, a town north of Barcelona

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Emergency services members gather outside the building where a fire broke out in the town of Manlleu, Barcelona, northeastern Spain
Emergency services members gather outside the building where a fire broke out in the town of Manlleu, Barcelona, northeastern Spain. Picture: Shutterstock

By Rebecca Henrys

Five people have died in a fire that broke out in an apartment building in northeastern Spain, regional emergency services said.

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Catalonian authorities said that the fire started in the storage room of a five-story apartment block in Manlleu, a town north of Barcelona.

Five others suffered light injuries from the blaze, with emergency services confirming that four people were discharged on-site and another refused to be taken to hospital.

Salvador Illa, President of the government of Catalonia, said he was "deeply saddened by the death of five people as a result of a fire in a building in Manlleu.

"My heartfelt condolences to their family and friends.

"I wish a speedy recovery to the injured people."

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At least five teenagers died and four other people were injured in the fire which started in a storage room located on the roof of the building.
At least five teenagers died and four other people were injured in the fire which started in a storage room located on the roof of the building. Picture: Shutterstock

The cause of the blaze is yet to be confirmed, with several victims reportedly found trapped in an attic storage room and were unable to escape, authorities have said.

Catalan police said the five dead were all young people and that they did not live in the building.

Manlleu Town Hall has now declared three days of mourning for those who lost their life in the fire.

In a statement shared on social media, it said: "In these moments of grief, we stand in solidarity with the families and those close to the victims, offering them all the necessary institutional and human support.

"We are grateful for the work and professionalism of the emergency services, firefighters, health services, security forces, and volunteers who intervened with the utmost speed and dedication from the very beginning.

"The Town Hall will declare three days of mourning, and the flags will fly at half-mast as a sign of respect and remembrance for the victims."