The La Liga fixture between Valencia and Granada has been called off following a tragic fire incident in the city.
At least ten individuals lost their lives following a devastating fire that engulfed two residential blocks in the Spanish city on Thursday, with an additional 15 people reportedly missing.
Valencia, positioned eighth in La Liga, had originally been scheduled to host Granada at the Mestalla Stadium on Saturday.
The club has expressed profound sorrow, stating they are “devastated” and extending assistance to emergency services as needed.
Ahead of their training sessions on Friday morning, Valencia’s men’s, women’s, and academy teams observed a minute of silence. Additionally, flags will fly at half-mast at the club’s facilities.
Firefighters responded to the incident around 17:30 local time (16:30 GMT), rescuing several residents from their balconies using cranes.
Over 20 fire crews battled the blaze, exacerbated by strong winds.
Fifteen individuals, including six firefighters and a young child, sustained injuries in the fire, though their lives are not in immediate jeopardy.
Writing on X (formerly known as Twitter) Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said: “Dismayed by the terrible fire in a building in Valencia… I want to convey my solidarity to all the people affected and recognition to all the emergency personnel already deployed at the scene.”
Specialists assert that the highly combustible cladding on the structure facilitated the rapid spread of the fire.
A three-day mourning period has been announced in the Valencian region.