Two nightclubs which were destroyed by a deadly fire at Murcia city (southeast Spain) over the weekend they were found to be operating without a license a year ago and ordered to be shut down then, local authorities said today.

Video from inside the club shortly before the tragedy

It is not clear why the clubs were allowed to continue operating after this recommendation. At least 13 people were killed by the fire in the early hours of the morningtes, Sunday, the authorities said, in the deadliest fire in Spain in decades.

The fire affected three adjacent nightclubs in Atalayas, on the outskirts of the city, but two of them — the Teatre and the Fonda Milagros — were the ones most affected. The causes of the fire remain unknown.

Local officials said at a press conference today that the Teatre, which had been licensed to operate as a nightclub and kitchen since 2008, had applied for a special permit after its premises were split in two in 2019.

Nevertheless, in January 2022, the municipality issued a cease-and-desist order, as splitting the building required applying for a completely different permit to be issued. The Teatre appealed the decision, which was dismissed, and the order to close was issued in October 2022.

“We will hold those who may have been responsible accountable,” Antonio Navarro, city councilor for urban planning, told reporters.

Navarro, who said city officials were unaware the nightclubs remained open despite the closure order, said it was not yet known whether local inspectors had recently visited the venues to enforce the order.

All the victims were found at the La Fonda club, whose roof collapsed due to the intensity of the fire, said Diego Serral, a spokesman for the Spanish National Police.

La Fonda’s lawyer, Francisco Andan, told reporters that no one had informed the club that it did not have a valid permit. “Actually, a year ago, some modifications had to be made as a result of an inspection,” he added.

The municipality of Murcia will join the lawsuit against the club, officials said.

Rescuers have found no more bodies and there are no missing persons, the head of the central government’s regional office, Francisco Jimenez, told public TVE.

According to Spanish media, many of the dead were from a group celebrating a birthday.

Police have not yet been able to enter the building due to high temperatures and the risk of the building collapsing further, Murcia Mayor Jose Bayesta said on public television.

Firefighters are working to stabilize the structure, he added.

According to officials, the bodies of only three of the 13 victims have so far been identified.