74-year-old man killed in apartment block fire in Tenerife
A 74-year-old man has died after a serious fire tore through a residential building in La Laguna early this morning (Monday), forcing evacuations and the dramatic rescue of a mother and her baby.
The fire broke out just after 7:30 am in a five-storey apartment block on Elías Serra Ráfols Street, in the Cuadrilátero area, sending thick smoke billowing through the building and into the surrounding streets.
Police motorcyclists, who were first to arrive after spotting a large column of smoke, and immediately alerted the 112 emergency centre. Fire crews from the Tenerife Fire Consortium rushed to the building, supported by Local Police officers and several ambulances.
Local Police confirmed that the man who died was the sole occupant of the apartment where the fire started. Despite the quick intervention of emergency services, his life could not be saved.
As smoke spread rapidly through the internal courtyard and stairwells, officers ordered the evacuation of residents from the affected building and a neighbouring block. Many of those forced from their homes were students and families with young children.
In one of the most critical moments of the incident, firefighters had to use an aerial ladder to rescue a 24-year-old woman and her 23-month-old baby trapped on the fourth floor. Access via the stairwell had become too dangerous due to heavy smoke, and police instructed the woman to wait on her balcony until help arrived.
Both were taken to Hospital Universitario de Canarias after inhaling smoke. The mother was treated for moderate breathing difficulties, while the baby was transferred as a precaution with mild respiratory distress.
An inspector from La Laguna City Council’s urban planning department has been called in to assess the safety of the building alongside senior fire officers, as authorities consider whether evacuated residents will need to be rehoused.
Meanwhile, the National Police’s judicial brigade has launched an investigation to determine what caused the fire in the first place.
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