Two people dead and 12 more injured in blaze at a Madrid restaurant caused by a flaming pizza setting fire to the ceiling and walls
- The blaze started last night at Burro Canaglia Bar&Resto in Salamanca, Madrid
- One person who died was an employee and the other was a customer
Two people died and 12 more were injured at a restaurant in Madrid after a flaming pizza set fire to the ceiling and walls.
The blaze started late last night at Burro Canaglia Bar&Resto, an Italian restaurant in the central Salamanca neighbourhood.
One person who died was a restaurant employee, while the other was a customer, Madrid’s mayor Luis Martinez-Almeida said outside the building. Both victims were between the ages of 25 and 30.
Six of the injured were taken to hospital after the blaze, which broke out around 11pm, all of whom were described as being in a serious or critical condition.
Some customers are understood to have been celebrating a birthday, but it is unknown whether they were among the casualties.
Two people died and 12 more were injured at a restaurant in Madrid after a flaming pizza set fire to the ceiling and walls
Six of the injured were taken to hospital after the blaze, which broke out around 11pm, all of whom were described as being in a serious or critical condition
Firefighters gathered outside Canaglia Bar&Resto, an Italian restaurant in the central Salamanca neighbourhood, after the blaze
An eyewitness told El Pais newspaper that the fire started after a waiter flambéd a pizza and the flames set fire to the ceiling and walls.
Madrid fire chief Carlos Martin said the blaze took place near a fire station and people were able to run to alert them about the accident.
Diners found it hard to flee as the blaze started near the main exit, emergency services said.
The mayor claimed there were about 30 diners and staff members in the restaurant at the time of the fire, according to the BBC.
He added there would have been more victims had the firefighters taken longer to attend the scene – with the blaze extinguished within 10 minutes from the first warning of fire.
Emergency services co-ordinator Emergencies Madrid confirmed: ‘A fire in a restaurant in Manuel Becerra Square has resulted in the deaths of two people.
‘Six people hurt have been taken to different hospitals in a serious condition. Four other people suffered minor injuries.
One person who died was a restaurant employee, while the other was a customer, Madrid’s mayor Luis Martinez-Almeida said outside the building
‘Twelve firefighter crews have put out the fire that spread quickly across the restaurant ceiling.
‘They also rescued several people, clients and employees.’
One of the customers, who managed to escape and reach the street as the fire was still raging, said: ‘Everyone began to shout and scream for help.
‘They were moments of panic because there were people trapped who couldn’t escape because of the fire and the smoke.’
Several people rescued by firefighters from inside the premises were said to have unconscious when they were brought our and laid on the pavement while paramedics tried to revive them.
Firefighter chief Carlos Marin said: ‘People came running to the fire station which is only about 400 metres from the restaurant.
Several people rescued by firefighters from inside the premises were said to have unconscious when they were brought our and laid on the pavement while paramedics tried to revive them
‘Our response was very quick because half of us responded by running to the scene on foot and the other half in vehicles.
‘People were trapped inside when we arrived and after extinguishing the flames, we performed 12 rescues.
‘They were trapped because the flames were preventing them from reaching the exit.’
Police are investigating the cause of the incident.
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