On Wednesday, the 20th of January 2021, Madrid was rocked by a massive explosion in the city center. The blast occurred in a building that housed a nursing home and an office for people with disabilities. The explosion resulted in at least three deaths and several injuries.
What happened?
According to reports, the explosion was caused by a gas leak. The building was located on Calle de Toledo, one of the busiest streets in Madrid’s city center. The blast caused significant damage to nearby buildings and shattered windows up to 500 meters away.
Response from authorities
Immediately after the explosion, emergency services rushed to the scene to tend to those injured and secure the area. Police cordoned off the area to prevent people from getting too close to the site of the explosion.
The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, expressed his condolences to those affected by the tragedy and praised emergency services for their quick response.
Casualties
As mentioned earlier, at least three people were killed in the explosion. Two of them were reportedly residents of the nursing home that was situated in the building where the blast occurred. The third person was a passerby who was walking on Calle de Toledo at the time of the explosion.
Several others were injured as well, some of them critically. They were taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.
Investigation
An investigation into what caused the gas leak is currently underway. The authorities have not yet released any information about what might have caused it.
Conclusion
The Madrid explosion on January 20th, 2021 was a tragic event that claimed several lives and caused significant damage to buildings in its vicinity. Investigations are ongoing as authorities work towards understanding what might have caused this accident. Our thoughts go out to those affected by this tragedy.