At least four people have been killed and about 21 people injured after a building collapsed on a beachfront in Mallorca on Thursday, emergency services said.
Rescue workers were trying to reach several people who were believed to be trapped by the collapse, which happened at about 20.30 local time (19.30 BST) at the two-storey Medusa Beach Club in Palma de Mallorca.
“There are four dead and around 21 injured,” an emergency services spokeswoman said, adding that “several nationalities” were among the victims.
The emergency services wrote on X that seven of the injured were in a “very serious” state and nine others had “serious” injuries, and that they were being treated at different hospitals.
Earlier, a spokesperson for the centre said: “We have activated an emergency response as a result of the collapse of the ceiling of a two-storey building in Carrer de Cartago in Playa de Palma, where people are trapped. Firefighters and local police are at the scene.”
Palma de Mallorca is a popular tourist resort and is the capital of the western Mediterranean island. May is the beginning of the tourist season in the area.
One firefighter described a “nightmarish” scene to the newspaper Ultima Hora, saying that when he arrived, people were crying and screaming around the rubble piled up on the ground floor.
Spain’s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, said he was monitoring the situation closely and his government would be ready to deploy “all the means and personnel that are necessary”.
Marga Prohens, the president of the Balearic Islands, said she was shocked to hear of the building collapse. “All my affection and warmth to the families of the four people who lost their lives in this tragic incident and wishing the recovery of all the injured,” Prohens wrote on X.
There has not been any information disclosed on whether the deceased or injured are restaurant workers or holidaymakers. But the Foreign Office confirmed there are no reports of British nationals being involved in the incident.
A spokesperson said: “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.”
The exact cause of the structural failure is unknown and is under investigation.
The local mayor, Jaime Martinez, and deputy mayor, Javier Bonet, arrived at the scene to coordinate rescue efforts and provide support to the affected families, the TSC website reported.
Authorities have urged anyone with information related to the incident to come forward and assist in the investigation.
Mallorca is one of Spain’s Balearic Islands, which more than 14 million tourists visited last year, according to official figures.