Five Children Die in Storage Room Fire in Spain

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Madrid: A fire that broke out in a top-floor storage room of a residential building in Manlleu, in Spain’s Catalonia region, has claimed the lives of five young people, authorities confirmed.

The blaze started shortly after 9:00 p.m. local time on Monday in the five-storey building located about 80 kilometres north of Barcelona. Emergency services were alerted by residents who noticed the fire.

Police said the victims were minors aged between 14 and 17. Reports suggest none of them lived in the building. Local media indicated that the storage room may have been used as a meeting place by the teenagers, though officials have not confirmed this detail.

Four to five other people in the building sustained minor injuries.

Firefighters said it remains unclear why the victims were unable to escape from the upper-floor storage space. Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the fire.

The local council has declared three days of mourning and is providing support to the affected families.

Catalan President Salvador Illa Roca expressed shock over the tragedy and extended condolences to the families and friends of the victims.