At least 4 killed, multiple people injured in large gas explosion in Madrid

At least four people were killed and more than 10 others were injured Wednesday after a massive gas explosion partially destroyed a residential building in central Madrid.

Shocking videos posted on social media showed streets covered in rubble with a cloud of smoke coming out of the building in the Spanish capital. The blast was apparently caused by a gas leak as workers were repairing a boiler in the six-story building, according to local media reports.

Emergency workers helped evacuate residents from a neighboring nursing home and were trying to find additional victims in the rubble. Debris from the explosion reached a nearby school, but authorities said no staff or students were injured.

An 85-year-old woman and two men were among the dead, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE reported.

In a brief message posted on Twitter, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the blast “a terrible explosion” and said his government was closely monitoring the situation.

Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida also shared a message on social media.

“My sincere condolences to the relatives and loved ones of those who died in the Toledo Street explosion,” he wrote.

Local authorities urged people to avoid the area so emergency vehicles and personnel could continue clearing the scene.

A witness who was in the area at the time said she heard a “loud explosion” while walking home around 3 p.m.

“We didn’t know where the sound came from,” Leire Reparaz told The Associated Press. “We all thought it was from the school. We went up the stairs to the top of our building and we could see the structure of the building and lots of gray smoke.”

With News Wire Services