An Irishman is being treated for serious injuries in hospital after gunshots were fired into the crowd at a Costa del Sol beach club.

The man was rushed to hospital after being shot in the chest during the drama in the early hours of this morning after violence erupted at the Opium Beach Club in Marbella.

Police sources confirmed an Irish national was among four people taken to hospital with gunshot wounds.

They include a woman who was seen lying apparently lifeless on the floor at the popular beachfront venue just outside Marbella town centre. She is thought to have been shot in the backside.

Police today said they were not aware of any deaths, despite initial unconfirmed local reports suggesting one of the victims had died.

Seriously injured

A well-placed police source said: “One of the four people who suffered gunshot wounds is an Irish man.”

Another added: “He is the most seriously injured of the gunshot victims. He suffered a gunshot wound to the chest.”

The same source said: “The gunman who has been arrested and suffered stab wounds is a Dutch national.

“The other gunshot victims were shot in the backside, leg and shoulder.”

Suspect

Police also confirmed the arrest of the suspected gunman, who is a Dutch national.

He suffered stab wounds to his head and chest after firing his weapon in the packed club.

Altercation

The shooting is believed to have occurred during a fight between two groups of people in a VIP area of the club.

A British person in the club at the time said: “There was an initial problem in the VIP area which the bouncers sorted and led to one person being taken away.

“The shooting occurred during a second incident about ten minutes later.

“The talk is that there was a fight between rich Russians and Arabs after the guy who had been taken away came back in but no-one’s confirmed it yet.

“They were swinging around those massive bottles of Belvedere Vodka and the bouncers charged back to try to sort it out and that’s when the shooting started.

“I was with my husband and he just flung himself on top of me because at one point the gunman seemed to be shooting out into the crowd.

“There was a real mad panic and everyone just rang for the exits. It was all very confusing.”

The police investigation is ongoing.

Reporting from Gerard Couzens in Marbella.