Three people have died, and at least a dozen have been injured, with another is missing, as a result of a major explosion in Madrid on Wednesday afternoon at Calle Toledo 98 in Madrid, according to the Madrid government delegate, José Manuel Franco.

In an interview on ‘TVE’ Manuel Franco said that one of the deceased is a woman who was walking down the street at the time of the explosion. The other two deaths occurred inside the building, and there is still a further person who is missing, although the information currently being gathered is “still very premature”.

Three people have died, and at least a dozen have been injured, with another still missing, as a result of a major explosion in Madrid
Three people have died, and at least a dozen have been injured, with another still missing, as a result of a major explosion in Madrid

Franco has also said that the National Police search and rescue dogs will enter the site when they can, since the building is still on fire due to the gas being expelled from pipelines. There is thought to be at least one elderly man who lived in the complex, who is still unaccounted for.

In addition, there are more than a dozen injured. Among them, a 26-year-old man, who is in a severe condition with an ankle fracture and lumbar trauma and who has been rushed to the La Paz hospital; a 53-year-old man with a head injury transferred to Ramón y Cajal; and a man with a broken leg, referred to the Clinical Hospital.

Two national policemen with minor injuries have also been assisted by health workers from Samur-Civil Protection. Both have been evacuated to the Nuestra Señora de América medical centre.

There are two PSAs (advanced health posts) set up in the area to attend to the people with minor injuries and anxiety attacks.

It has been confirmed that the explosion occurred when two people were checking a gas boiler although no further information is known at this time.

The 55 users of the adjacent La Paloma Care Home, attached to the building that has suffered the explosion, are being transferred to the Pontones residence, according tp the Deputy mayor, Begoña Villacís. It is the Social Samur who is in charge of carrying out the transfer and the relatives are also being notified.

Bars in the area opened their doors to accommodate the users of the residence, as well as the Ganivet hotel.

Once the firefighters have secured the area, the canine units will be allowed to have access to the debris and rubble area to survivors among the fallen rubble.

A total of eight fire crews from the Madrid City Council are at the site. Firefighters are using drones to examine the condition of the building and are using hoses to put out the new flames. There are also units from Citizen Security, Police Intervention and canine guides specialised in searching for people.

Municipal Police Units, SAMUR and Firefighters are also in the area, and a field hospital has been established in the Puerta de Toledo square.

Part of the rubble from the building explosion has fallen into the courtyard an adjacent school, thankfully empty due to the snow still not melted after storm Filomena. In a statement posted on their Twitter account, the school’s management has confirmed that all the students and teachers have been unharmed by the explosion.

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