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6 months ago
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AN URGENT warning has been made by angry residents in Majorca saying more disasters could soon happen after the Medusa beach club tragedy.
At least four people died in the horror collapse with 16 others left injured last night as locals reveal many venues “aren’t designed for tourists”.
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Rex
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Officials revealed earlier today that two female German tourists, aged 20 and 30, a Senegalese man, 44, and a fourth female victim, 23, were killed at the Medusa Beach Club just a day after a revamp.
Locals say the ordeal was an “accident waiting to happen”.
As they also gave a chilling prediction that there could be a number of tragedies in the future unless things seriously change.
Alain Carbonell, president of the S’Arenal Neigbourhood’s Residents Association in Majorca said: “We fear that the building has collapsed due to its age and the fact it was originally designed for residential and not tourist use by the amount of people inside.
“There have been two previous instances of collapses at buildings in other parts of this area.
“This was completely foreseeable and the worst thing about it is that it will happen again. We are afraid it will occur again.”
Speculation over when the building that hosted the event was first built has been raging since the disaster.
Reports say it could be anywhere from 70 to 84 years old.
Mr Carbonell made it clear that “checks have to take place” on any new additions to buildings as just one day before the floor caved in, the popular night spot unveiled a new terrace bar.
This new terrace at the Medusa Beach Club in Playa de Palma fell away at around 8.30pm on Thursday night.
Cops say it was likely caused by an overload of people on the first floor.
Carbonell added: “It’s clear that with a building of this age, with the materials used and the renovation work that has gone on over the decades, the original structure suffers and I think the collapse is linked to that.
“There’s a lot of buildings like this in this area.”
Other locals expressed their fury at the decay that was allowed to occur to the properties on the waterfront including the club.
Lourdes, who has lived in Playa de Palma for 40 years, told Ultimate Hora: “You could see it coming, the decline that the area has suffered is incredible.”
Another local called Manuel agreed saying: “All the buildings in this area are the same.”
BEACH HORROR
Abdoulaye Diop, 44, a Senegalese migrant living in Majorca, was the first of those who died last night to have been named.
He had been working as a nightclub doorman in the area who made headlines on the island in 2017 by saving a man who was drowning.
He is thought to have stopped off at Medusa Beach Club, on the beachfront promenade, after leaving the gym.
The fourth victim is a 23-year-old female Spanish worker.
It has now emerged nine survivors being treated in hospital are Dutch, the nationalities of the others are unknown.
Witnesses have spoken of their terror as they watched the bar collapse into the street as if a “bomb” had exploded and grisly footage emerged showing the immediate aftermath.
The debris was still being cleaned up this morning
The two-storey Medusa Beach Club pictured before its collapsedSolarpix
Rex
Tributes for the four people killed have already started to pour in as the region entered a three day period of mourning
Witnesses were filmed running and screaming seconds after the first-floor terrace caved in
RexHorrific footage shows people screaming, crying and fleeing, as bodies lay lifeless on the pavement.
Around 100 rescue workers ploughed through the night to search for anyone trapped beneath the rubble in what they described as a “nightmarish” scene.
Emergency services could be heard asking people to keep quiet as they listened for sounds of anyone trapped.
Palma’s Deputy Mayor Javier Bonet said this morning: “We can now rule out the possibility there could be more victims.
“This morning around 2.30am firefighters finished the job of clearing all the rubble and concluded the rescue operation.”
Three days of mourning have now been declared for the victims.
The exact cause of the collapse remains unknown.
‘LIKE A BOMB’
Last night, hordes of emergency service vehicles rushed to the scenes of utter chaos on Cartago street.
All ambulances in Palma were ferried to the waterfront location which brimmed with rescue workers late into the night.
Local resident Javier told Ultima Hora the collapse sounded like “like a bomb” as he watched the terrifying events unfold.
Santiago Aranda, who was walking his dog at the time of the collapse, told La Linterna: “I don’t have words to describe it.
“It was an explosion, and we were in the street opposite…some ran in the opposite direction and others towards the dust”.
Raul, an employee from the shop next door, told CadenaSER: “Everything fell, completely. It was very loud and there were a lot of people inside.
Aranda, who was with his wife at the time, said he stayed to help “get people out” amid “screams, wailing and crying”.
Eder Garcia, head of the Palma Fire Brigade, said from the scene overnight: “We received the first call around 8pm.
“The first floor terrace has collapsed, probably due to excess weight although it’s still under investigation, and it’s impacted on an arch below which has also come down and affected the basement where there was a table football table and there were people eating.”
Heartbreaking pictures showed dozens of people comforting each other on the road as they waited for news.
Psychologists were also called to the scene to help those suffering from the trauma of the collapse.
Several bystanders tried to enter the wreckage amid fears that their loved ones were trapped inside.
Responding to the tragedy, President of the Balearic Islands Marga Prohens wrote on X: “Shocked by the information I received about the collapse of Platja de Palma.
“Sending all my affection and warmth to the families of the four people who lost their lives in this tragic incident and wishing the recovery of all the injured.
“Thanks to all the emergency services that have been dispatched to the scene and continue to work there.”
President Pedro Sanchez added: “I am closely following the consequences of the terrible landslide that occurred on the beach of Palma.
“I want to send my condolences to the families of the deceased and my wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.”
The Medusa Beach Club is located just metres from Cullera beach in Playa de Palma, a beach resort east of the capital, popular with tourists.
Around 3.2 million Brits travel to Majorca each year.
Thursday’s collapse took place at the start of the archipelago’s high tourist season.
In 2009, a collapse of a three-story building in Palma de Mallorca killed seven people, including two Germans and three Colombians.
A body lies on the floor next to the collapsed building last night
Investigations are ongoing into what caused the fatal crash
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Medusa Beach Club unveiled a new terrace bar on Wednesday with the caption: ‘Totally different, New rooftop’Instagram
The first named victim is local hero Abdoulaye Diop, a Senegalese man who once saved a man from drowning in the resortSolarpix
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