Four dead, 16 injured in Spain after Mallorca restaurant collapses

Investigations are under way into the cause of the incident at the start of the island’s tourist high season.

Rescue workers approaching the collapsed building on Mallorca. There is rubble.

Emergency services at the scene of the building collapse [Cati Cladera/EPA]

Published On 24 May 2024

24 May 2024

Updated:

3 hours ago

A two-storey building in Spain’s popular tourist island of Mallorca has collapsed, killing four people and injuring at least 16 others.

Spanish fire crews picked through the wreckage of the beachfront restaurant on Friday, a day after the collapse. Police said the fatalities included two German women, aged 20 and 30; a 44-year-old Senegalese man; and a 33-year-old Spanish woman who worked in the club.

Emergency services wrote on social media platform X on Thursday that seven of the injured were in a “very serious” state and nine others had “serious” injuries and were being treated in different hospitals.

The building collapsed in the Playa de Palma area to the south of the Mediterranean island’s capital Palma de Mallorca.

A spokesperson for the local police told radio station RNE said the first emergency calls came in at about 8pm (18:00 GMT).

“The terrace has come down, probably due to excessive weight,” he said, adding that the cause of the disaster was still being investigated.

Public television for the Balearic Islands, IB3, where Mallorca is located, reported there were people dancing on a terrace that collapsed on top of the floor underneath.

‘Nightmarish’

One firefighter described a “nightmarish” scene to the newspaper Ultima Hora, saying that when he arrived, people were crying and screaming around the rubble on the ground floor.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez conveyed his condolences to the victims’ families on X, saying he was “closely following the consequences”.

The central government was prepared to send “all the necessary resources” to help the regional authorities cope, he added.

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Sanchez said he had spoken to the president of the Balearic Islands region and to the city’s mayor.

Balearic Islands President Marga Prohens said on X that she was “shocked” by the news, adding she was sending “love and warmth to the families of the four people who have lost their lives”.

Mallorca is known for its pristine waters and beaches, and more than 14 million tourists visited the islands last year, according to official figures.

Thursday’s collapse took place at the start of the high tourist season, on a beachfront avenue home to several shops and entertainment venues.