40 injured as nightclub floor collapses in Tenerife

A section of floor at a crowded nightclub collapsed early Sunday, sending patrons plunging into the basement.

Image credit: Libre Diario @ Digital/YouTube

It happened at around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday at the Butterfly Disco Club in Adeje, Tenerife. While patrons were dancing and enjoying themselves, a section of the floor collapsed, sending people plunging into the basement, approximately one floor below. 40 people were injured in the fall. A performer on stage can be seen falling as the floor collapses in the video posted to Twitter below.

#CosasDeYoutube
El hundimiento del suelo de la discoteca Butterfly en Adeje (Tenerife) pic.twitter.com/VuLvlbl1OS

— CarlaxyS5 (@CarlaxyS5) November 27, 2017

According to officials on Tenerife, approximately four square metres of floor gave way, causing people to fall down into the basement. Emergency medical teams were soon on the site. The Canary Islands regional government said in a statement that among the injured were two British men aged 57 and 59, two French men aged 38 and 40, a 23-year-old Belgian woman and a 45-year-old Romanian man. However, according to Britain’s foreign office, they were in contact with several British national who had received injuries in the incident.

📹 Nueve de los 40 heridos por el desplome de la discoteca Butterfly de Adeje permanecen hospitalizados ▶️ https://t.co/kJqxGEKgiJ #Adeje #SucesosDA pic.twitter.com/KdlaHtoeyj

— Diario de Avisos (@diariodeavisos) November 27, 2017

The local fire department posted videos on Twitter, showing rescuers digging through the rubble with their hands. The firefighters stayed at the scene until around 6:00 a.m., searching the basement to ensure no one else was trapped inside. Other videos posted to social media showed EMTs attending to people outside the club. The video below clearly shows the damage to the nightclub.

21 people were taken to hospital by ambulance, while another person was treated at the scene and released. 18 other people made their own way to the hospital for treatment according to the mayor of Tenerife. Among the injuries were ankle sprains, broken legs and bruises. At least two people were deemed to be seriously injured.

The nightclub is located in a shopping mall in the popular tourist destination of Playa de las Americas. The Local reports that the Butterfly is a popular gay nightclub which features Go-Go dancers and drag shows on Saturday nights.

Jose Miguel Rodriguez Fraga, the major of Tenerife, said the club’s license is in order and did not appear to have been overcrowded when the floor gave way. The basement was unused and empty at the time. However we said all establishments in the shopping mall have been ordered to shut as a precaution, even though they are structurally independent.