The building, located at number 66 Montseny Street, dates back to before 1979. The fire was confined to a small room on the fifth-floor terrace that local youths used as a hangout spot. Mossos d'Esquadra investigators found sofas and an electric heater inside the windowless space, which lacked proper ventilation.
Emergency services received the call at 9:10 PM, and Firefighters extinguished the blaze within half an hour. One victim was found on the stairs, while four others were located inside the room. The Medical Emergency System (SEM) deployed 11 ambulances to the scene.
“"There are no words to describe such pain."
A judge from Vic oversaw the recovery of the bodies on Tuesday morning. Four of the victims were students at the Antoni Pous Institute. The Manlleu Town Council has declared three days of official mourning and cancelled all Carnival events scheduled for this week.
