Simon Hunter
ONE OF the people injured in a shocking fire at a Madrid restaurant on April 21 has died in hospital. The total number of victims from the incident, which took place at the Burro Italian restaurant in central Madrid, now stands at three.
The latest victim from the tragic blaze was identified in Spanish daily El Español as Maria M., aged 41, and originally from the Basque Country.
She was friends with another of the victims of the fire, a nurse who died at the scene.
Together with two other friends, the victims were spending a weekend in the Spanish capital when the incident took place.
The other victim of the fire was one of the restaurant’s waiters, a 25-year-old man.
In total, five people were left with serious injuries by the blaze. Two of them are still receiving hospital treatment: two women aged 25 and 26, according to El Español.
The latest victim was in a serious condition when admitted to hospital after having inhaled smoke and suffered burns to a large percentage of her body.
The blaze is alleged to have started when a blow-torch used on one of the dishes in front of the diners set fire to the decorations in the restaurant: plastic plants that were hung from the ceiling and the walls.
The incident has prompted restaurants to revise their decorations due to the risk of a similar fire, and has also called into question the trend for such gimmicks in a bid to encourage visitors who want to take selfies and post them on social media.
Read more:
- Consumer group calls for restaurant inspections across Spain after deadly fire in Madrid
- Third time lucky, as arsonists allegedly set exclusive Marbella beach restaurant on fire
- Famous chiringuito in San Pedro (Marbella) destroyed by fire
