The inferno has claimed the lives of 13 people outside Murcia, Spain. Rescue workers continue to search for more victims. 

Over the weekend, a set of conjoined nightclubs outside of Murcia, Spain caught fire and killed 13 people. The owners had reportedly been ordered to shut down the clubs last year, according to BBC. 

The fire started at the nightclub Fonda Milagros to the next door Teatre club. It’s believed the fire started at around 6 a..m Sunday morning. 

According to local officials, the company in charge of Teatre and Fonda Milagros nightclubs, Teatre SL, only held a permit to run one of them. In 2019, the company requested permission to divide the building into two. However, the request was denied.

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While the owners launched an appeal in 2022 alongside a request to get new licenses, the effort was never finalized. Thus, the owners were operating the nightclubs illegally. 

Furthermore, Murcia’s Deputy Mayor Antonio Navarro stated that the local council demanded both nightclubs to shut their doors in January 2022. It remains unclear why the nightclubs were able to continue operation past this date. 
The fire is the deadliest nightclub fire in the country since 1990, when 43 people were killed in Zaragoza. While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, Murcia Mayor Jose Ballesta declared three days of mourning in Murcia.

Image Credits: Twitter @BomberosMurcia