Five teenagers died Monday night after a fire broke out in a rooftop storage room of an apartment building in Manlleu, a town of about 21,000 people roughly 75 kilometers north of Barcelona in Spain’s Catalonia region. Emergency services said the victims died from smoke inhalation. Five other people were treated for minor injuries. Local authorities declared three days of mourning, and Catalonia’s regional police opened an investigation into what caused the blaze.
What Happened Monday Night
Residents of the five-story building called emergency services shortly after 9 p.m. local time after noticing smoke in the stairwell, according to Catalonia’s emergency services. Thirteen firefighter crews were dispatched to the scene, and 11 ambulances and two psychological support teams were activated. Officials said the building had already been evacuated by the time crews arrived.
Emergency services said the fire started in a rooftop-level storage room that had been used as a meeting point by local young people. None of the five who died lived in the building. Police said the victims were between 14 and 17 years old. Local media reported that four of the victims were students at the Institut Antoni Pous i Argila, a secondary school in Manlleu.
“For reasons unknown, the people inside were unable to get out,” Catalonia’s emergency services said in a statement, adding that “nothing could be done to save their lives” despite the response of firefighters and ambulances. The fire was brought under control by about 9:41 p.m., but by that point all five had already died.
Officials Respond as Investigation Opens
Salvador Illa, president of the Catalan government, said on X that he was deeply saddened by the deaths, offered condolences to the victims’ families and friends, and thanked the emergency services who responded.
Commocionat per la mort de cinc persones a conseqüència d’un incendi a un edifici de Manlleu. El meu sentit condol als seus familiars i amistats. Desitjo una ràpida recuperació a les persones ferides. Tot el meu suport a l’alcalde @ArnauRovMar i el meu agraïment als serveis
— Salvador Illa Roca (@salvadorilla) February 16, 2026
Catalonia’s Interior Minister, Núria Parlón, traveled to Manlleu overnight to meet with the town’s mayor, Arnau Rovira, and local council members. The town council announced three days of official mourning, with flags ordered to half-mast across the municipality and a minute of silence scheduled at town hall on Tuesday evening.
Expressem el més profund condol x la tràgica pèrdua de cinc joves a conseqüència de l’incendi ocorregut al nostre municipi. En aquests moments de dolor, ens solidaritzem amb famílies i persones properes a les víctimes oferint-los el suport institucional i humà que sigui necessari
— Ajuntament Manlleu (@ajManlleu) February 16, 2026
In a community Manlleu’s size, the deaths of five teenagers in a single night have shaken schools, sports clubs, and neighborhoods. The secondary school that four of the victims attended is expected to be among the hardest hit.
Investigation Underway
The Mossos d’Esquadra, Catalonia’s regional police force, have opened a formal investigation into the cause of the fire. Early indications from police sources point to a fast-burning material, possibly a mattress, that generated heavy smoke inside the small, unventilated room. Investigators have not released an official cause and have not said whether they are treating the case as a possible homicide.
Authorities said the storage room was not set up as a dwelling, but its apparent use as a regular gathering spot has raised questions about access, supervision, and what fire detection or suppression measures were in place.
Safety Questions Around Shared Spaces
The fact that the room was being used as an informal hangout has renewed attention on how shared spaces in older apartment buildings are monitored and maintained. Rooftop storage areas, basements, and attics can be accessible while receiving little oversight, and officials say the investigation will look closely at the conditions inside the storage area and whether safety requirements were met.
No regulatory changes have been announced. For now, local authorities say the focus remains on determining how the fire started and on supporting the families of the five teenagers who died.
