Overview
- Working hypotheses from Mossos d'Esquadra point to a cigarette or lighter that ignited a mattress or other furniture in the unventilated attic storage area.
- Rescue and police sources report the five victims, ages 14 to 17, died from inhalation of toxic smoke and gases, with no evidence of any explosion.
- Firefighters said the youths were found unconscious in attic corridors outside the burned unit, indicating they tried to flee a dark, labyrinthine zone of 41 trasteros with no ventilation.
- None of the victims lived in the building, which neighbors say had a broken exterior door and compromised locks that allowed easy access to the storerooms the group used as a hangout.
- A judicial investigation is open, five others suffered minor injuries including four local police from smoke inhalation, and the town has declared three days of mourning while preparing safety and rehabilitation measures with regional authorities.