A 56-year-old man suffering from Compulsive Hoarding Disorder was killed after a fire swept through his apartment in one of the worst blazes in recent history in Palma in the early hours of yesterday morning.The alarm was raised just before midnight on Sunday when the fire broke out on a second floor apartment of the eight story block on the corner of calle General Riera and Sant Josep de la Muntantya.
Inside the flat lived a 56-year-old man who suffered from Compulsive Hoarding Disorder and fire brigade sources said that one of the reasons the fire spread so quickly and was so fierce was because of the amount of rubbish and items which had built up inside the property.
The fire is thought to have broken out in the lounge by accident but within minutes, the fire had spread through the apartment and thick smoke was billowing out of the windows as flames licked the outside of the building.
The victim died inside the burning apartment while 24 other flats in the building were damaged by the fire and the whole building was evacuated with all the neighbours having to spend the night with friends and family.
Yesterday, the clean up operation began while fire investigators and council engineers began inspecting the damage to the building.
None of the residents were allowed to return to their properties, not even to collect clean clothes, valuables or items needed on a daily basis.