A late-night gathering in northern Spain turned terrifying early Saturday when a bar suddenly collapsed with dozens of people still inside.
The incident happened at the Bar Tempranillo in San Vicente de la Sonsierra, a small town in Spain’s La Rioja region.
Authorities received the first emergency call at about 5:25 a.m. local time on Oct. 3.
Initial reports said between 25 and 30 people were trapped inside the wreckage, but officials later said approximately 50 people had been inside the bar at the time of the collapse.
Twelve people were injured in the incident.
Eight of them were taken to medical facilities, including six who were transported to San Pedro University Hospital in Logroño and two who were taken to a health center in nearby Haro.
Another injured person was reportedly taken to the Haro health center by a friend.
One man suffered a possible broken leg and an open wound, while authorities said the remaining injuries appeared to be minor.
Officials said none of the injured victims was believed to be in life-threatening condition.
Survivors told authorities that the floor of the bar appeared to collapse first, followed by the ceiling.
The sudden failure left the interior filled with debris and sent emergency crews scrambling to determine whether anyone was still trapped underneath.
Firefighters, police, paramedics and Red Cross workers rushed to the scene.
The emergency response included multiple Guardia Civil patrols, ambulances, medical personnel and 10 firefighters equipped with fire engines, vans and an off-road vehicle.
A civil protection technician also brought in a specially trained search dog to check the wreckage.
After an extensive search, emergency officials confirmed that nobody remained trapped beneath the debris.
Firefighters also worked to stabilize the damaged structure and prevent further collapse.
The incident caused damage beyond the bar itself.
Authorities said a wall of an adjoining home also collapsed.
Fortunately, nobody was inside that residence at the time, and no additional injuries were reported there.
Architects and building specialists were called to the area to assess the structural damage to both properties.
Officials noted that the bar was licensed to remain open until 6 a.m., meaning the business was operating within its permitted hours when the collapse happened shortly after 5 a.m.
Police have now opened an investigation to determine exactly what caused the floor and ceiling to give way.
Authorities have not yet announced whether structural failure, construction problems or another issue was responsible.
For the dozens of people who were inside, what began as an early-morning gathering quickly turned into a frightening race to escape falling debris.
Despite the extensive damage and the number of people inside, officials said no deaths were reported and nobody was ultimately found beneath the rubble.
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