Fire in Barcelona building kills 4 members of family

OVIEDO, Spain

Four members of a family, including two children, were killed in a fire in an abandoned building occupied by squatters in downtown Barcelona, Spain, on Tuesday morning, while four others were hospitalized for smoke inhalation.

A one-year-old and a three-year-old child were among those killed in the fire, City Mayor Ada Colau confirmed, adding that the deceased belonged to the same family.

The fire broke out in the Tetuan Plaza, which is situated between the Sagrada Familia Basilica and the Arc de Triomf.

Colau said the accident took place in a former bank branch that was occupied by eight people.

The four survivors were treated for smoke inhalation, she added.

The fire started at 6 a.m. (0500GMT).

During a similar cold spell over a year ago, a fire in an occupied building in Catalonia killed four people and injured 17.

That fire took place in a former paint factory in the nearby city of Badalona that was housing around 150 people, most of whom were foreign nationals.