On Monday evening, a tragic fire occurred in the town of Manlleu near Barcelona, claiming the lives of five young people. The fire broke out around 9:00 PM in a storage room on the roof of a five-story residential building. Although the fire was not extensive, the victims were unable to leave the room. Four other people sustained minor injuries. Local authorities are currently conducting an intensive investigation to determine the cause of the fire and the reasons why the teenagers were trapped inside.

Tragic Death of Teenagers

In the fire, five young people under the age of 18 died, who were in a room on the roof of the apartment block.

Unclear Reasons for Being Trapped

Despite the relatively small scale of the fire, the victims were unable to escape the storage room, which is a key element of the investigation.

Location of the Incident

The tragedy took place in Manlleu near Barcelona in a five-story building on Montseny Street on Monday evening.

The tragic incident occurred on Monday, February 16, around 21:10 in the town of Manlleu in the province of Barcelona. The fire appeared in a small storage room located on the roof of a five-story apartment block on Montseny Street. According to preliminary findings by the fire department, this room – formally a storage locker – may have been used as a youth meeting place or informal living quarters. Rescuers, who arrived at the scene after neighbors reported smoke in the stairwell, extinguished the fire within 30 minutes. Unfortunately, the bodies of five individuals, all of whom were minors, were found inside. Emergency services, including the Sistema d'Emergències Mèdiques (SEM), provided assistance to four additional people who sustained minor injuries. Bombers de la Generalitat, the Catalan fire department, emphasized that the scale of the fire itself was relatively small and the building's structure was not compromised. The biggest mystery for investigators remains why the group of teenagers was unable to evacuate the room at the moment the fire broke out. It is possible that the door was blocked or the rapid spread of smoke led to the immediate loss of consciousness of the victims. Spain is grappling with the problem of adapting non-residential premises, such as storage rooms or utility spaces, for residential purposes, often due to high rental prices in metropolitan areas like Barcelona, leading to tragically negligent fire safety standards. The President of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Salvador Illa, expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy and offered condolences to the victims' families. The identities of the deceased are currently being confirmed by forensic doctors, as some bodies were significantly charred. The Manlleu city council announced a local mourning period. The investigation is now focused on verifying the living conditions in the burned storage room and checking whether it met any safety standards, which could result in criminal liability for the property owner. „I am shocked by the death of five young people in the fire in Manlleu. I send my sincerest condolences to the families and friends of the victims.” — Salvador Illa Fatalities: 5, Injured (minor): 4, Firefighting units: 13 Timeline of Events in Manlleu: February 16, 21:10 — ; February 16, 21:40 — ; February 17, morning — ; February 17, 09:00 —

Mentioned People

  • Salvador Illa — President of the Government of Catalonia (Generalitat), who offered condolences to the victims' families.