four dead in restaurant collapse on Majorca island

Four people died after the roof of a restaurant collapsed on the Spanish Mediterranean island of Mallorca on Thursday (May 23), emergency services said. Furthermore, there is “21 injured to varying degrees”, a spokesperson for the emergency services of this tourist archipelago in the Balearic Islands told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Some of the injured are in serious condition and people of “several nationalities” are among the victims, she said, without being able to give more details.

The tragedy occurred at the end of the day in the tourist area of ​​Playa de Palma, in the south of the city of Palma de Mallorca – the capital of the island –, when “the roof of a two-story building” housing a restaurant, collapsed, explained the spokesperson.

Many firefighters were deployed on the scene while ambulances transported the injured to the hospital, an AFP photographer noted on site. Rescue services “continue to work on site” to check if victims are not still trapped under the rubble, they said in a message published on the social network X. The street was cordoned off by the police to allow rescuers to work.

Reasons for collapse unknown

The reasons for the collapse of this restaurant are currently unknown, but according to witnesses cited by local media, the roof collapsed on part of the first floor.

This area was very busy at the end of the day when the tourist season is already in full swing in the Balearic Islands, an archipelago also including the islands of Ibiza, Menorca and Formentera.

In a message on X, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said “follow closely the consequences of the terrible collapse that occurred on Palma beach”. The socialist leader also “expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased” and offered “all necessary means and personnel” of the central State to help the regional authorities in the management of this accident.

The Balearic Islands, known for their crystal clear waters and beaches, are Spain’s second largest tourist destination after Catalonia. In 2023, they welcomed more than 14 million tourists, according to official figures.