Valencia | Spain

Between nine and 15 people were missing Friday morning after a massive fire ripped through a 14-story apartment building with 138 apartments in Valencia that erupted Thursday afternoon, the Spanish city's mayor said. María José Catala and Carlos Mazón, President of the Autonomous Government.

The official death toll from the tragedy currently stands at four, but Valencian authorities believe it could rise in the coming hours, given the number of missing persons.

Difficulties in establishing the exact number of missing persons are largely based on the difficulties of their relatives in locating them, as some of the residents of the building are foreigners and others are not regular residents.

There were also reports of 15 injuries — seven of which were firefighters — but none of them were life-threatening.

Quoted El PiesJorge Suarez, Deputy Director General of Emergencies Common Valenciana explained that early this Friday morning, even though the flames had already been extinguished, the temperature inside the building was so high that it was difficult for firefighters and rescue teams to advance quickly.

“You're flying high [o edifício] Drones and cranes and sure [sua] Consistency to understand when it can be accessed”, Catala explained. “Valencia is going through a very sad moment.”

Located in Kampanar neighborhood, the fire-affected building was built in 2005 and consists of two residential buildings, one with 14 floors and the other with ten. About 450 people lived in 138 flats (11 on each floor).

While the cause of the fire is still under investigation, all indications are that the fire broke out on the fourth floor of one of the buildings.

In just half an hour, the fire spread throughout the building, especially through the aluminum panels on the facade covered with polyurethane, according to Esther Buchats, vice-president of the College of Industrial Technical Engineers of Valencia, quoted as saying. El PiesHighly flammable.

Strong winds felt in the city in Spain contributed to the rapid spread of the fire throughout the building, creating a large plume of black smoke.

The head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sánchez, will visit the site of the tragedy this Friday. Necessary,” the government said in a message issued on Thursday.