Spanish police scour social media sites for clues to origin of the deadly nightclub fire in Murcia

While waiting for safety experts to allow them to inspect the two badly burnt nightclubs in Murcia, National Police officers in Spain are searching social media networks for any clues to help clarify the origin of the deadly fire in the Las Atalayas leisure area of the city.

The blaze that started in the early hours of Sunday morning has tragically claimed the lives of thirteen people who were in one of the three discotheques affected and which, despite the fact that more than two days have already passed, the cause still remains unknown.

In the last few hours, several videos have emerged showing several people on the dance floor of the Fonda Milagros, dancing with sparklers in their hands. Images have also been shared of the moments after the fire, when customers were forced to leave the discotheques.

The investigators know that they can obtain information from these images. However, they will need to get their hands on the original recordings to obtain the metadata if they want the video to have evidential value in the criminal proceedings that have already been opened by the courts in Murcia.

The police have also asked the victims' families to send them any image or sound files that have come into their possession and which could help to shed light on what happened. In addition, they have asked them to avoid looking at social media networks - mainly because of their own sensitivity after the tragedy - or to share this type of content themselves, given the uncertainty it may cause.

Meanwhile, two days after the fire, officers at the Murcia police headquarters are still waiting for the fire brigade to secure the structure so that they can enter the fire-damaged premises. Once inside, they will carry out the relevant inspection in as much detail as they can, which could shed light on how the blaze developed.