An 18-year-old man dies when a house collapses in Manacor

PalmAn 18-year-old man died early this morning in Manacor After the roof of their bedroom collapsed, a 12-year-old boy was trapped under the rubble of a house where he and his brother were sleeping. According to the Emergency Medical Service (SAMU 061), the two brothers were trapped under the debris. Two other people, the boys' parents, were also in the house at the time, but they were unharmed as their bedroom was in another part of the house.

The incident occurred at approximately 5:12 a.m. this morning on Sant Francesc Street, when a report was received of a building collapse. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found the rear of the building completely collapsed and proceeded to rescue the two young people who were in the room where the debris had fallen.

According to what they specified Mallorca FirefightersThe incident involved the collapse of the ceiling in a room of a three-story building (ground floor plus two upper floors). The upper floor slab, which was part of a flat roof, fell onto the floor below and subsequently affected another room in the house. Two brothers were sleeping on a stretcher in that room. The deceased victim was upstairs, and the injured 12-year-old was downstairs. According to the Island Director of Emergencies, Joan Fornàs, firefighters had to rescue the two brothers from under a meter of rubble. While firefighters were inside the house attempting to rescue the boys, a second collapse occurred, injuring a firefighter. Fornàs explained that the man suffered several rib injuries and also had to be treated by medical personnel at the scene. However, the firefighter is safe.

By the time emergency teams rescued the 18-year-old, he had already died. The 12-year-old was treated at the scene and taken to Son Espases University Hospital (HUSE) in an Advanced Life Support ambulance. SAMU 061The polytrauma protocol was activated. The injured child was admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Department at Son Espases Hospital and shortly afterward transferred to the Intensive Care Unit. His condition is stable, and he is under observation. Shortly after noon, the child was discharged and is now back in Manacor recovering with his family. Two Advanced Life Support units, one Basic Life Support unit, and a Rapid Intervention Vehicle (RIV), along with the on-duty supervisor, were dispatched to the scene. A team of psychologists from the 112 emergency service also went to the house to offer emotional support to the family. Although the investigation is still in its initial stages, the firefighters' first hypothesis is that the collapse was caused by the age of the house. What Xisco Bonnín, chief officer of the Mallorca Fire Department, has confirmed with certainty is that the collapse was "purely structural; there was no explosion or any other trigger." Bonnín emphasized that the house is currently "completely inaccessible" and that they are working to secure it in order to carry out "a more thorough study and investigation." Furthermore, initial investigations by the fire department and the police indicate that roof repairs had been carried out in recent months, but it is still unknown whether this contributed to the collapse. Since the house has been sealed off and access will be restricted until the investigations are complete, the Manacor City Council has offered the family temporary accommodation within the municipality.

Regarding the neighboring houses, the chief officer of the Mallorca Fire Department explained that one is not in danger, as the collapse occurred on the side furthest from the house, while the other is awaiting a thorough inspection. He stated that their current concern is the condition of the shared wall, but added that "initially it appears that it has not been affected either." However, the house was evacuated pending confirmation from the technicians that there is no danger.

Hours after the collapse, the Manacor City Council explained in a statement that, as a result of the initial inspection, a technical report will be issued with a series of urgent safety recommendations. These recommendations include prohibiting entry to the property, sealing off the area, and cordoning it off to both pedestrians and vehicles.

They also detailed that in the coming days, once authorization is obtained from the corresponding court, municipal technical services will access the interior of the building to carry out the necessary shoring work to ensure its consolidation. Subsequently, the debris will be removed and a detailed inspection of the structure's condition will be carried out.

Furthermore, they added that the Urban Planning Department's historical archive has reported that no license applications or documentation relating to the building's state of conservation have been located.

Manacor expresses its condolences and calls for a minute of silence

For his part, theManacor City Council The City Council has expressed its condolences to the family of the young man killed and the child injured in the collapse. The Council has conveyed its support to the affected family during this time of "immense sorrow," as well as to their loved ones and the neighborhood where the incident occurred.

Hours after the incident, the Manacor City Council called for a minute of silence at 12:00 noon in front of the Town Hall as a sign of mourning. Flags are also flying at half-mast as a sign of respect and solidarity with the affected family. Municipal urban planning technicians have already begun the necessary work to assess the condition of the building and determine the causes of the tragic event. The Mayor of Manacor, Miquel Oliver, went to the scene to closely monitor the situation and personally express his condolences to the family. The President of the Balearic Islands Government, Marga Prohens, also lamented the death of the young man from Manacor and conveyed her condolences to the family through a message on her social media profile.

The head of the regional government explained that she has already contacted the mayor of the town, Miquel Oliver, to whom she conveyed the support of the Balearic Government, and added that she is closely monitoring the condition of the other victim, the 12-year-old boy admitted to Son Espases Hospital. The Manacor Municipal Band also mourned the death of Miguel Ángel, who played saxophone in the group. In a message on social media, reported by ARA Baleares, the band expressed their sorrow at the sad news of the saxophonist's passing and conveyed their condolences to his family and friends. "You will always be with us, fly high. We will continue playing as a band, however we can," they concluded.