They will demolish the building that exploded in Madrid after a gas leak

The demolition operation will begin in the morning. (Photo: Reuters)

Mayor of Madrid José Luis Martínez-Almeida reported that the controlled demolition of the upper floors of the building where an explosion occurred in the heart of the city will begin early Thursday morning. At least three people died and 11 were injured after the explosion, which was caused by a gas leak.

The episode occurred this Wednesday shortly before 3:00 p.m. and was heard miles away. According to Emergencias Madrid, everything indicates that gas is the cause of the epidemic, which the mayor of Madrid confirms José Luis Martínez-Almeida, who explained that the origin could have been an explosion in the apartments in the upper part of the building. The structure was shattered and burned for the next four hours.

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In this sense, from Emergencias Madrid, they reported that it was not prudent to intervene immediately because, if the fire went out, a gas pocket could have occurred, the this would have affected the stability and structure of the building. After the episode, fallen walls, holes in the ceilings and shattered windows were recorded. Neighbors and passers-by worked together to quickly clear the area so that emergency teams could access the incident area.

Police sources said The country the explosion occurred while checking the gas installation at the rear of the building, where the boiler was broken several days ago, but Storm Filomena had forced the arrangement to delay. The explosion was of such magnitude that it resonated within a mile radius.

However, the tragedy could have been more serious, since the building houses the residence of several priests, local parishes and the humanitarian organization Caritas. In addition, it is located next to a center for the elderly and a school. One of the injured is a priest who was at the scene. He was transferred to a hospital with severe burns. Three other people were also referred to hospitals with less serious injuries.

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According to official information, all three deaths are men. One of them, David Santos Muñoz, He was a 35-year-old electrician, father of four, who came to the site to “help” with the gas leak. The President of the Spanish Government Pedro Sanchez He then posted a message on social media, in which he said: “Unfortunately, we have to mourn the deaths of several people in the Toledo Street explosion. I just spoke with the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez Almeida, to express my support and solidarity ”. Firefighters will continue to work early Thursday.