In the Campanar neighborhood, a 14-story block caught fire, which then spread to a nearby structure.
People were spotted being rescued from balconies by firefighters.
According to experts, the building’s extremely combustible cladding contributed to the fire’s quick spread.
450 people lived in the 138-unit complex, according to a report in the newspaper El Pais that quoted the property’s manager.
Six firefighters and a young child are among the at least 14 casualties.
The fire, which was exacerbated by strong gusts, was fought by more than 20 fire units. By early Friday, the block had become a massive shell charred by fire. It was advised that people avoid the area.
According to local sources, firefighters used cranes to rescue a number of occupants, including a couple who lived on the seventh story.
A woman reported to TVE that she had witnessed firefighters working to free a teenage kid who was stranded on the first floor of the building.
A neighbor named Luis Ibanez told TVE that he had watched the block burn “in a matter of minutes” and that it appeared “to be made of cork” when he glanced out of a window.
