At approximately 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, a strong explosion shook the center of Madrid. The building belonging to the number 98 of Toledo Street (Madrid) jumped through the air, due to a gas leak on the fifth floor, according to the first hypotheses considered by the authorities.
According to data from the archbishopric, a boiler in this building, which is the La Paloma Parish Complex and which is located next to the ‘Los Nogales’ nursing home and La Salle La Paloma school, where most of the schoolchildren were in the dining room.
According to the mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, at least two people have died: an 85-year-old woman and a man. There are, at least, twelve wounded treated, one of them serious due to burns, who are being treated by the health workers displaced to the scene of the event and transferred to nearby hospitals. In addition, the Government Delegation in Madrid confirms a missing person and another fatality.
More than 120 specialized agents of the National Police are deployed on Toledo Street: UIP, UPR, TEDAX, Subsoil, SMA, Scientific Police, Citizen Security, Information and Canine Guides.
Work continues on securing the site#Madrid #Explosion pic.twitter.com/3g6SnbngHb– National Police (@policia) January 20, 2021
Connects Puerta de Toledo with the neighborhood of La Latina
This central street in the city connects the Puerta de Toledo with the La Latina neighborhood. After the explosion, the street has been completely covered by rubble and debris from the building, in which only the reinforced concrete columns that support the structure have been saved. Numerous cars, which were in the street, and windows of the adjoining buildings have been heavily affected.
Nearby are also some bars, shops, a well-known nightclub in the city and the Hotel Ganivet. In addition, about 200 meters away is the square where El Rastro de Madrid is located on Sundays.