Two people killed, 10 hurt in Madrid restaurant blaze

The fire was started when a waiter flambéed a pizza and set fire to the walls and ceiling.

 Rescuers work outside a restaurant following a fire, in Madrid, Spain, April 21, 2023, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. (photo credit: Madrid Emergency Service/Handout via REUTERS)
Rescuers work outside a restaurant following a fire, in Madrid, Spain, April 21, 2023, in this screen grab taken from a handout video.
(photo credit: Madrid Emergency Service/Handout via REUTERS)

Two people died and 12 others were injured in a fire at a restaurant in the Spanish capital Madrid, emergency services said on Saturday.

The blaze started late on Friday night at Burro Canaglia Bar&Resto, an Italian restaurant in the central Salamanca neighborhood.

One of the dead was a restaurant employee and the other was a customer, Madrid mayor Luis Martinez-Almeida told reporters on Saturday outside the building.

An eyewitness told El Pais newspaper that the fire started after a waiter flambéed a pizza and the flames set fire to the ceiling and walls.

Diners found it hard to flee as the blaze started near the main exit, emergency services said.

 Firefighters gather outside a restaurant following a fire, in Madrid, Spain, April 21, 2023, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. (credit: Madrid Emergency Service/Handout via REUTERS)
Firefighters gather outside a restaurant following a fire, in Madrid, Spain, April 21, 2023, in this screen grab taken from a handout video. (credit: Madrid Emergency Service/Handout via REUTERS)

Police were investigating the cause of the fire.