PALMA DE MALLORCA, SPAIN – A tragic incident unfolded on the Spanish island of Majorca when a two-story restaurant collapsed, resulting in the deaths of four people and injuries to 16 others. Eyewitnesses reported hearing what sounded like an explosion just before the Medusa Beach Club, a popular beachside restaurant in Palma de Mallorca, gave way on Thursday night around 8:30 p.m. local time.
Authorities identified the victims as a Spanish man, two German women, and a Senegalese man named Abdoulaye Diop, who had previously gained national attention in 2017 for rescuing a man struggling in the waters off Majorca’s coast. The collapse caused patrons and staff to fall into the basement below, leading to chaos and panic.
Police attributed the collapse to “excessive weight” on the terrace, while local media suggested that investigators were examining whether the building met safety regulations. Dutch tourists Wessel Roos, 21, and his girlfriend Madelin Muijs, 20, were dining nearby when they heard the alarming noise. “It wasn’t a big boom, but you could feel the vibration of the ceiling falling,” Roos recounted.
The scene was described as “nightmarish” by a firefighter who arrived to find people crying and screaming amid the rubble. Raúl Pursnami, owner of a neighboring fashion store, witnessed the disaster and struggled to find words. “There were people eating, they were on vacation, and now look what happened,” he lamented.
Santiago Aranga, who was walking his dog across the street, said the sound was like a bomb going off. “There was screaming, crying, hysterics,” he said, noting the difficulty in calming German tourists who were unfamiliar with the local language. Diop, 44, had just finished a workout and was having coffee at the restaurant when the collapse occurred, according to friends.
The Medusa Beach Club is one of many establishments catering to tourists along Playa de Palma. Following the incident, psychological experts were dispatched to assist those traumatized by the event. Roos and his girlfriend returned to their hotel, praying for the victims’ survival. “It’s a really weird feeling,” Roos said. “My girlfriend didn’t sleep well; she’s very shocked.”
The City Council of Palma declared three days of mourning, while Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and Balearic Islands President Marga Prohens extended their condolences and offered support. Majorca, the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands, attracted over 17 million visitors last year.