Five-story apartment building collapses in Teruel, Spain, shortly after evacuation

A five-story apartment building, home to 21 families, in the city of Teruel, Spain, collapsed on Tuesday, June 14, and was caught on video.

Furthermore, a tenant had warned the authorities about cracks and creaks in the structure, and firefighters had rushed on scene, evacuating the building prior to the incident, with the last tenant leaving shortly before it collapsed. Neighboring apartment blocks were also evacuated, upon the realization that the five-story building’s structural capability had been compromised, bringing the total evacuee count to 300 people.

The reasons behind the building’s collapse have not been specified yet, but speculations exist. More specifically, local police officer, Ángel Loras, stated that he observed the walls were “made of cigarette paper and completely deteriorated”.

Heavy rain had also poured in the area prior to the collapse, with a tenant saying that he had noticed plenty of water in the apartment building’s basement the night before the collapse.