Skyscraper Gutted by Weekend Fire Remains Upright, But Unstable in Spain

Feb. 14, 2005
The skyscraper in Madrid's business and financial district that was gutted by a weekend fire remained upright but unstable Monday, a large construction crane still perched on its roof atop the blackened frame of a building without walls and windows.

MADRID, Spain (AP) -- The skyscraper in Madrid's business and financial district that was gutted by a weekend fire remained upright but unstable Monday, a large construction crane still perched on its roof atop the blackened frame of a building without walls and windows.

``Don't Fall Down,'' headlined page one the free paper Que passed out to morning subway and bus commuters on a day that promised plenty of transport headaches.

Streets around the Windsor Building remained cordoned off a third day, while service on three Metro lines was curtailed for safety reasons. Many nearby businesses remained shut by government order.

The blaze that started before midnight Saturday finally was declared under control about 21 hours later. The cause has not been determined, partly because it was too hot for firefighters to enter the burning 32-story building, and it's still too risky.

``What worries us now is its structural state because of the high temperatures it was subjected to,'' Merardo Tudelo, director of the Madrid Municipal Firefighters, told reporters Sunday evening.

Madrid Mayor Alberto Ruiz-Gallardon acknowledged, ``The situation is still critical.''

Madrid residents who didn't flock to the scene during the weekend, stopped and stared Monday at the wrecked hull that was a modern office building just last Friday.

``This is the biggest fire ... this city has ever had,'' Gallardon told reporters and bystanders outside the blackened hulk of twisted wreckage at midday Sunday.

Closure of the area around it - perhaps through Wednesday, Gallardon said - will affect dozens of businesses and several thousand employees.

El Corte Ingles, Spain's signature department store, confirmed it won't open Monday and told its 2,000 employees to stay home.

Within hours of catching fire at about floor 21, several top floors collapsed dangerously onto lower ones. ``If the partial collapses keep happening, it would be lying to say it's impossible that the whole building couldn't fall down,'' firefighter official Fernando Munilla said about the building which at 106 meters (350 feet) high is among the 10 tallest in Madrid.

At their peak, temperatures reached 800 degrees Celsius (1,472 Fahrenheit), said Javier Sanz, head of Madrid's firefighters.

Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero visited the site Sunday and said, ``I wanted to thank all those people who have been working since early in the morning: firefighters, police, and all those who have thrown themselves in to help in this catastrophe.''

Construction of the shiny gold Windsor Building began in 1973 and was completed in 1979. It became a landmark structure in Madrid's business district. The building was surrounded with scaffolding due to recent repairs.

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