Five hurt in Palma flat fire

FIVE people needed medical attention yesterday after a fire broke out in a third-storey flat in Calle Ricardo Ortega de Palma.

The alarm was raised at lunch-time with callers to the emergency services worried that there may have been people trapped on the top floor. Local and National Police attended the scene along with the Fire Brigade and paramedic teams. Quickly and efficiently, the whole of the building was evacuated but three residents needed medical attention as did two policeman and a fire officer. Four of the injured were suffering from smoke inhalation and a fifth from light burns - none were hospitalised. The cause of the fire, which is still being investigated remains unknown but an initial assessment reveals that the top-storey may have been used as illegal immigrant accommodation for an unspecified number of people. People on the first and second floors were allowed back into their homes later in the afternoon but the top flat had sustained major damage and remained uninhabitable.