After officials said they had found the remains of what they believe to be the final missing victim, the death toll from a spectacular fire that scorched two residential buildings in Valencia increased to 10 on Saturday.
Pilar Bernabé, a national government representative in Valencia, told reporters that forensic investigators had discovered the tenth fatality within the charred structure. According to her, police will use DNA testing to verify each victim’s identity.
Bernabé emphasised that police and firefighters will continue the “complex” task of searching through the building wreckage for any further potential victims, even though no other missing persons had been reported.
There were about 140 apartments in the complex, though it was not immediately clear how many people were inside the two buildings when the fire started.
A 14-story apartment complex was torn apart by the fire that started in one house on Thursday afternoon, and authorities warned on Friday that the death toll may increase. The building’s extremely combustible cladding, according to experts, may have contributed to the fire’s quick spread after it started on the fourth level early Thursday night.
As the flames engulfed the high-rise in the port city’s western Campanar neighbourhood, dramatic photos revealed clouds of black smoke.
“Four people have died,” Valencia region deputy head of emergency services Jorge Suarez Torres informed reporters overnight.
Pilar Bernabe, the regional administrator, noted on Friday, “As of right now, we have 14 people who remain untraced,” but she emphasised that the figure might alter.
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