Owner of Spanish restaurant in Mallorca where 4 died in terrace collapse arrested
Spanish police said Wednesday they have arrested, for manslaughter, the owner of a beachfront restaurant on the island of Mallorca where four people died when a terrace gave way.
Two German tourists, a Senegalese man and a 23-year-old Spanish woman who worked at the venue in Palma de Mallorca, were killed when the recently renovated first-floor terrace collapsed on May 23rd. It fell onto the ground floor, which then plummeted into the basement. Another 14 people were injured.
The police homicide group has "arrested the owner of the company that operated the business over his alleged involvement in four cases of manslaughter and six cases of serious injury through gross negligence," police said.
READ ALSO: Bar terrace in deadly Mallorca collapse was unlicenced
A police investigation found that during the refurbishment, a roof had been added to the terrace, which did not have a licence.
"The structure had not been reinforced for such use and as a result of the modifications had been overloaded with weight," police said.
The weight of the roof and the 21 people on the terrace "caused the structure to collapse," the statement said.
Police did not name the arrested man but media identified him as Austrian businessman Christian Arnsteiner who owns the company that operated the Medusa Beach Club in a seaside area of Palma that is popular with tourists.
The Balearic Islands are one of Spain's top tourist attractions with more than 14 million foreign tourists last year, according to official figures.
Comments
See Also
Two German tourists, a Senegalese man and a 23-year-old Spanish woman who worked at the venue in Palma de Mallorca, were killed when the recently renovated first-floor terrace collapsed on May 23rd. It fell onto the ground floor, which then plummeted into the basement. Another 14 people were injured.
The police homicide group has "arrested the owner of the company that operated the business over his alleged involvement in four cases of manslaughter and six cases of serious injury through gross negligence," police said.
READ ALSO: Bar terrace in deadly Mallorca collapse was unlicenced
A police investigation found that during the refurbishment, a roof had been added to the terrace, which did not have a licence.
"The structure had not been reinforced for such use and as a result of the modifications had been overloaded with weight," police said.
The weight of the roof and the 21 people on the terrace "caused the structure to collapse," the statement said.
Police did not name the arrested man but media identified him as Austrian businessman Christian Arnsteiner who owns the company that operated the Medusa Beach Club in a seaside area of Palma that is popular with tourists.
The Balearic Islands are one of Spain's top tourist attractions with more than 14 million foreign tourists last year, according to official figures.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.