Tragedy at Palma Beach: Building Collapse Kills Four, Injures 27
A two-storey building at the popular Medusa Beach Club in Palma collapsed, resulting in the deaths of at least four people and injuries to 27 others in the busy tourist hotspot.
Firefighters rushed to the scene amid fears that at least ten people were trapped in the wreckage. The Medusa Beach Club, a restaurant favored by foreign tourists, was bustling with activity when the structure gave way.
Public television for the Balearic Islands, IB3, reported that people were dancing on a terrace that collapsed onto the floor below around 8:30 pm local time on Thursday. Emergency services pleaded for silence on the busy strip to hear any cries for help from those still trapped.
Authorities have not yet specified the nationalities of the victims or the cause of the collapse. However, the death toll may rise as the rescue operation continues.
Hundreds of people were kept back behind police cordons in the high tourist season area of the Balearic island off the coast of Spain. Images from the scene showed victims being taken away on stretchers and loaded into ambulances, with bodies covered in silver blankets.
Raul, a worker from a neighboring shop, described the scene to CadenaSER: "Everything fell, completely. It was very loud, and there were a lot of people inside. A very loud sound was heard. There were people eating, people upstairs... the top floor fell."
Reports suggest that the first-floor terrace collapsed, causing the ground floor to sink into the building's basement. Among the feared dead are a security guard and two tourists.
Palma's mayor, Jaime Martínez, and deputy mayor, Javier Bonet, visited the scene to coordinate with emergency teams. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed his condolences on X, stating the government's readiness to provide all necessary assistance. Marga Prohens, President of the Balearic Islands, also conveyed her shock and sympathy for the victims' families and the injured.
Rescuers are continuing to evacuate the injured through the back of the bar-restaurant, which faces Trasimé Street on Palma's main tourist strip.
Comments