At least two dead after blast in central Madrid
At least two people have died and several are injured after an explosion that brought down a building in central Madrid on Wednesday (January 20).
The premises belonged to the Catholic Church.
Initial investigations suggested the blast in Calle de Toledo, a street that leads out from the city center, had been caused by a gas leak, according to the city's mayor, Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida.
Smoke billowed out of the collapsed building and rescue workers evacuated elderly people from a nearby nursing home.
The top five floors were totally destroyed, with walls blown out, while the bottom two floors were still mostly intact, but charred in places from the flames.
A Church official said one volunteer was missing.
A neighbor said the building was a complex that provided residential training for priests and also gave meals to homeless people.
Video Transcript
- At least two people have died and several are injured after an explosion that brought down a building in central Madrid on Wednesday. The premises belonged to the Catholic Church. Initial investigations suggested the blast in Calle de Toledo, a street that leads out from the city center, had been caused by a gas leak, according to the city's mayor, Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida. Smoke billowed out of the collapsed building and rescue workers evacuated elderly people from a nearby nursing home. The top five floors were totally destroyed, with walls blown out, while the bottom two floors were still mostly intact, but charred in places from the flames. A church official said one volunteer was missing. A neighbor said the building was a compact that provided residential training for priests and also gave meals to homeless people.
