Seven-storey building is destroyed by suspected gas explosion in Madrid, with at least one person trapped in the rubble
A seven-storey building in Madrid has been destroyed by a suspected explosion, with at least one person believed to be trapped in the rubble.
Several floors of the building in the capital’s Toledo Street have been affected by the blast, that ripped through the building at around 2:30 p.m. local time.
The cause has not yet been revealed although initial reports said it could be a gas explosion.
A building said to house an OAP home in Madrid has been destroyed by an explosion
Before the explosion: The building pictured in the central area of the Spanish capital
The building is understood to be next to a school where there are no reports of any casualties.
Madrid’s emergency services say rescue teams, firefighters and police are working in a central area of the Spanish capital following the explosion that witnesses described as ‘extremely loud.’
Videos and images shared on social media showed a tower of smoke coming out from a building and rubble scattered in a central street of Madrid. Spanish public broadcaster TVE said the explosion took place in a building near a nursing home.
Leire Reparaz, who lives near the Puerto de Toledo, a local landmark, told The Associated Press that she heard a loud explosion.
‘We didn’t know where the sound came from. We all thought it was from the school. We went up the stairs to the top of our building and we could see the structure of the building and lots of grey smoke,’ the 24-year-old Madrid resident said.
More to follow…