Four people have died and 16 are injured after a two-storey building collapsed on the Spanish island of Majorca, local emergency services say. Several people are believed to be trapped at the site of the Medusa Beach Club, a beachside restaurant on Cartago Street in the regional capital Palma de Majorca.
The incident reportedly happened at about 20:30 local time (19:30 BST) on Thursday night. There are fears that a number of people maybe trapped in the wreckage.
Emergency services told local media that they were finalising rescue operations and securing the area shortly after midnight local time. Officials added that psychology experts would be brought to the scene to aid those traumatised by the incident.
The floor of the establishment collapsed on Thursday evening, causing people to fall into the basement below, where there were also customers and staff. One firefighter described the scene as “nightmarish” to local newspaper Ultima Hora. He added that when his team arrived people were crying and screaming as they stood around rubble piled on the floor.
Palma Fire Chief, Eder García, told local media that most of those affected by the collapse were foreigners and tourists, El Pais reported.
The UK foreign office declined to say whether any British nationals were affected by the collapse, with a spokesperson telling the BBC: “We are aware of an incident in Palma, and there are currently no reports of British nationals having been involved. We remain in contact with the Spanish authorities.”
A spokesperson for the local police told reporters that the balcony may have collapsed due to excess weight being placed on it, but emphasised that the exact cause was still being investigated.
One man was pulled from the rubble with a broken arm, and the rescue services are working on the assumption that more people are trapped. Officials asked onlookers to remain silent in order to allow them to hear the voices of survivors.
The mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez, is said to have travelled to the scene with the deputy mayor of tourism. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez sent condolences to the victims' families. He said he was closely following all the latest developments, and his government was ready to send all the required assistance.
The president of the Balearic Islands, Marga Prohens, said she was shocked by the incident and sent her condolences to the victims’ families. Ms Prohens thanked the emergency services, and also Mr Sánchez for his support.
Majorca is the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean.
Last year, more than 17 million visited the island.
