At least 13 people were killed when a fire tore through three nightclubs on the outskirts of the Spanish city of Murcia, officials said Sunday.

The blaze broke out at the Teatre nightclub in Atalayas, the southeastern city’s Emergency Coordination Center said on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Clouds of smoke could be seen rising from the venue in images posted to X by the city’s fire department, while others showed the building’s blackened facade. The photos also showed that fire had destroyed part of the roof.

The department said that 40 firefighters and 12 vehicles had been deployed to tackle the blaze which broke out in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Officials provided regular updates as the death toll rose during the morning. In the latest posted to X, the Emergency Coordination Center said 13 people had died and four people were injured in the fire.

It also went on to warn that the number of fatalities could rise and said a team of psychologists was going to assist the relatives of the victims.

Offering “condolences to the family and friends of the victims,” Spain’s National Police said on X that forensic investigators had been sent to the scene.

The dead were found in the Fonda nightclub, one of three adjoining clubs, which had sustained the majority of fire damage, including the collapse of its roof, the force’s Diego Seral told reporters, according to Reuters.

The collapse was making it difficult to locate victims, and it was difficult to pinpoint yet where exactly the fire started, he said, adding that the identification of the bodies would take time.

Murcia’s Mayor José Ballesta said on X that emergency services were continuing to work to establish the cause of the blaze.

In a separate post, Ballesta announced that a three day mourning period would be held for the dead. He also offered “strength and encouragement,” to the victims families. Flags were also lowered to half mast outside Murcia’s City Hall.

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The Informant via NBC News/Reuters