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At least 13 people have died in relation to an incident in which a fire tore through three adjoining nightclubs in the Spanish city of Murcia overnight, local officials confirmed on Sunday (October 1).
The incident took place at the Teatre nightclub in Atalayas, Ayuntamiento de Murcia, the city's Emergency Coordination Center, announced in a translated post shared on its X account. Clouds of smoke were shown rising from the venue in images and videos shared by Bonmberos Murcia, the city's local fire department, on its X account.
Part of the venue's roof appeared to be destroyed in photos shared on the social media platform. A total of 40 firefighters and 12 vehicles were deployed to the scene early Sunday morning, the fire department confirmed.
Ayuntamiento de Murcia said 13 people were killed and four others experienced injuries in relation to the blaze. The department also warned that the total number of fatalities could rise as search efforts continued, noting that a team of psychologists was working to assist relatives of the victims.
Spain's National Police Department shared a translated post on its X account offering "condolences to the family and friends of the victims."
The casualties were located in the Fonda nightclub, which was reported to have sustained the most damage among the three adjoining venues, including a collapsed roof, Spanish National Police officer Diego Seral told Reuters.