Spanish nightclub ravaged by deadly fire was ordered to close in Jan 2022: Authorities

Spanish authorities said on Monday (Oct 2) that the nightclub in Murcia which was ravaged by fire over the weekend, killing 13 people, had been ordered to close in January last year. Speaking to reporters, Murcia's Deputy Mayor Antonio Navarro said that the city council (in January 2022) ordered the closure of nightclubs, the Fonda Milagros and Theatre discos, as the company that operated them had only a license for Theatre and not for Fonda which was created later.

Navarro said that authorities would get to the bottom of who was responsible for the nightclub fire- which is the deadliest in more than 30 years. The deputy mayor did not explain why the nightclubs were still operating.

'Fire appears to have spread through a/c vents'

Francisco Jimenez, the central government's representative in Murcia, said the fire appeared to have spread through the air conditioning vents "which is why it spread so quickly."

"We must be patient with the identification of the bodies... The bodies are very badly burned and it is going to be very difficult for experts to work on them," Jimenez added.

The death toll due to the fire stands at 13. A report by the news agency AFP said that all the people who were reported missing after the fire had been accounted for, including three people who were at a beach and had their mobile phones turned off, and officials said they did not expect to find any more bodies.

Officials also said that four people were treated for smoke inhalation.

The city's bars and restaurants closed on Sunday as a mark of respect for the victims, local hotel-restaurant association Hoytu said. Murcia city hall announced three days of mourning and a minute of silence was observed at noon on Monday for the victims.

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