Madrid: At least 25 people were injured, three of them seriously, in a violent explosion at a bar in a southern district of Madrid, civil defence authorities reported on Saturday. The blast, believed to have been caused by a gas leak, occurred in an occupied ground-floor shop in the Puente de Vallecas district, causing significant damage to the building and injuring residents in the area.
According to Ghana News Agency, the explosion tore down part of the building's entrance and a wall next to the bar, damaging both the bar and the apartments above. Madrid's deputy mayor, Mara Inmaculada Sanz Otero, informed journalists that a gas leak was the likely cause, although detailed investigations are still ongoing to confirm this.
Civil protection authorities initially reported that the explosion occurred around 3 pm (1300 GMT). Some residents of the nine apartments above the bar sustained minor injuries, and the apartments remain off-limits while the stability of the three-story building is assessed. Authorities have pledged to support those affected in finding temporary accommodation.
Firefighters and rescue teams quickly responded to the scene, and police cordoned off surrounding streets to ensure public safety. Civil protection authorities shared photos on X showing the damaged building facade, a destroyed shop window, the largely ruined bar interior, doors blown from their frames, and a damaged car parked outside.
