One Dead and Another Critical Due to Smoke Inhalation in A Coruña Building Fire

One man has died and another is in critical condition due to smoke inhalation following a fire on Thursday afternoon in an apartment building in A Coruña. The emergency service 112 Galicia reported that they were alerted to the fire at 5:45 PM by a call from a resident who noticed flames in the electrical panel located in the entrance of a block of flats on Rúa San Isidoro.

The emergency centre requested the intervention of A Coruña firefighters who, upon arrival, found the staircases filled with smoke. After extinguishing the flames and during ventilation efforts, they discovered two individuals—two men, according to municipal sources consulted by Europa Press—unconscious on the first floor. The personnel from the Servizo de Urxencias Sanitarias de Galicia-061 provided assistance on site, but only one of them was still alive and was evacuated in critical condition to the city's University Hospital.

The National and Local Police, as well as firefighters and Civil Protection units, were also informed to assess the damage. Although the fire was eventually controlled and ventilation tasks were carried out, municipal sources indicated that the decision was made to evacuate residents from the building, which houses more than thirty people, due to the lack of electricity.

In any case, the electricity company is working to restore service, and the City Council, through Social Services, has assured that all residents will receive attention and have alternatives "today" if they cannot return to their homes. By late evening, the Sagrada Familia Sports Centre had been set up for this purpose.

Meanwhile, the National Police have launched an investigation to determine the causes of the fire that affected the building's entrance electrical panel. Sources close to the case have suggested that one of the lines of inquiry is whether renovation work was being carried out or if the electrical panel was being tampered with, although the circumstances remain unclear.

Several local politicians, including the Mayor of A Coruña, Inés Rey, also visited the scene to express their concern over the incident.