Blaze skyscraper on 'verge of collapse'

A skyscraper in the heart of Madrid was feared to be on the verge of collapsing last night after it was gutted in the worst fire in the city's history.

The 32-storey Windsor building - the city's eighth tallest structure - was in flames for almost a day before firefighters put out the blaze. At its peak the inferno lit up the Spanish capital like a huge torch, but no one was killed. Officials say there is now a risk the 106m skyscraper - reduced to a blackened concrete skeleton - could disintegrate as its cools.

Fire chief Javier Sanz said: 'The structure has been damaged and has suffered high temperatures, and we can't be certain a pillar, girder or some other structural element won't collapse.' Streets, shops and offices in the area will remain closed until investigators are sure it is safe, he added.

The blaze is believed to have been caused by an electrical shortcircuit. The office building, in the financial district, was virtually empty when the first alarm went off at 11:20pm (10.20pm GMT) on Saturday night. Several floors collapsed and the blazing tower evoked memories of the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center in New York.