A large explosion destroyed a tall building in the Spanish capital of Madrid just before 3 p.m. local Time on Jan. 20, killing at least two people and leaving the entire city in shock as the scene was littered with broken bricks and rubble.
According to Deutsche Welle, a large explosion destroyed a building in the Spanish capital of Madrid just before 3 p.m. local time on Jan. 20. The explosion, which killed at least two people, was initially presumed to have been caused by a gas leak.
The explosion took place just south of the city center in the main thoroughfare Calle de Toledo, a building reportedly owned by the archdiocese and located near schools, churches and nursing homes.
Posts on social media show the multi-story residential building was heavily damaged and the street was littered with broken bricks and rubble. Video from the scene shows smoke billowing from the explosion.
An eyewitness told local Madrid newspaper ABC that “everything shook like a bomb” and that “many facades had collapsed.
Local resident Leire Reparaz, 24, told the Associated Press she heard a loud bang: “We didn’t know where it was coming from. We all thought it was coming from the school. We went up the stairs to the top of the building before we saw the structure of the building where the explosion took place and the large amount of gray smoke.”
Firefighters, police and specialized emergency workers have arrived on the scene and evacuated the surrounding area. Firefighters were reportedly unable to enter the building due to the ongoing blaze.
At least two people were killed in the explosion, according to the mayor of Madrid. He said the explosion appears to have been caused by a gas leak. Police also confirmed to local media that people were injured.
Local restaurant Cafe Pavon provided shelter for affected residents and acted as a temporary contact for locating relatives.
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