The leader of the regional government in Valencia, Spain, announced a three-day period of mourning on Friday after a fire in a high-rise residential complex killed at least four people.
Firefighters and police officers rushed to the scene shortly after 5.30 p.m. on Thursday as the fire engulfed the entire pair of buildings, one of which was 14 stories tall, within half an hour.
At least 14 people have been reported missing, and the authorities said the numbers of dead and missing could still rise, because the high temperatures inside the charred structures have prevented emergency workers from searching inside.
Speaking at a news conference on Friday morning, Carlos Mazón, the president of the regional government, praised the work of the first responders, noting that seven of those injured in the blaze were firefighters.
Valencia’s municipal government said in a statement that a relief point had been set up in a nearby building to offer practical and psychological support to surviving residents. Another meeting point was offering information and support for family members of missing people, it said.
