Spain: A massive fire has killed at least four people in a high-rise residential block in the Spanish city of Valencia, emergency services say.
The blaze engulfed a 14-storey block in the Campanar neighbourhood and spread to an adjoining building.
Firefighters were seen rescuing people from balconies, and 19 are believed to be still missing.
At least 14 people, including six firefighters and a young child, have been injured.
High winds fanned the flames, but there are also suspicions that highly flammable cladding enabled the fire to spread rapidly.
More than 20 fire crews tackled the blaze, and by early Friday the block was a giant fire-blackened shell. People were urged to stay away from the area.
The building contains 138 flats and was home to 450 residents, newspaper El Pais reported, citing the building’s manager.
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.”
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