Magic Palace fire to remain a mystery

THE cause of the fire which destroyed the building called ‘Magic Palace’ in Torremolinos last year may never be known as it was demolished without informing the police.

The police were waiting for the demolition so they could control it and search for any evidence, as it was too dangerous for them to enter the building, which was seriously damaged and could have collapsed.

However, in June last year the Mayor of Torremolinos, Pedro Fernandez Montes, signed a demolition order.

The demolition was carried out under municipal supervision the following month and charged to Kazan Magic Entertainment SL for €46,850. Neither the town hall nor the company informed the National Police, and by the time they arrived on the scene, the Magic Palace was reduced to a pile of ash and rubble.

It had taken firemen hours to put out the blaze, as they were unable to enter the building due to the high temperatures and the risk of the roof collapsing.

Fortunately, no-one was injured, and it did not collapse. The Magic Palace was unique in Europe, but reportedly never reached the success which the owners had hoped for when it opened in July 2006, with a municipal concession for 50 years and an €8m investment.

Magic Palace announced in 2007 that it was to suspend shows due to serious disagreements between the director, Hans Kazan, and the main shareholder of the company, Bram Baker. Baker decided he no longer wanted to invest money into a project which he was not sure would be profitable.

Magic Palace never opened again.

The yearly fee of €60,100 was not paid for some time, and although Torremolinos Town Hall wanted to recover the building, it was recommended that they wait at least 10 years, to avoid the huge costs.

By Jennifer Leighfield