Four people - two adults and two young children - are dead after a blaze broke out in a central Barcelona store, where the victims had set up a squat.
The fire broke out around 5:50 a.m. in Plaza Tetuan inside an old bank office that served as a home for several families. Among the victims were a 1-year-old and a 3-year-old. All the victims belonged to the same family.
Four other people who had taken refuge in an interior courtyard located in the basement have been rescued alive by firefighters, the newspaper La Vanguardia reported citing the city administration.
The deceased were trapped on the ground floor. When the firefighters arrived, the fire was very virulent, fueled by the combustible material found inside the premises. The cause of the fire was initially unclear.
The family, whose father was originally from Pakistan and the mother from Romania, had lived in various settlements in Catalonia for a decade. They had been living in the burned premises for a year. Their livelihood was the collection and sale of scrap metal, according to La Vanguardia.
A school child
The Barcelona City Council was aware of the family's situation and since 2020 it has provided them with food, schooling and pediatric services for the children. One of the deceased children attended a nearby school.
Police officers stand near the building where a fire has broken out. Photo: Kike Rincón/dpa.
In Barcelona, and to some extent in other Spanish cities, squatters make use of unused houses, flats and commercial premises for residences.
This is illegal, but eviction suits are lengthy.
