Madrid, Sept 14, (dpa/GNA) – 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, according to newspaper El País, which cited residents.
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, María Inmaculada Sanz Otero, told journalists that a gas leak was the likely cause, though detailed investigations are still ongoing.
Civil protection authorities initially reported the explosion occurred around 3 pm (1300 GMT).
Some residents of the nine apartments above the bar sustained minor injuries. The apartments remain off-limits while the stability of the three-story building is assessed.
Authorities pledged support in finding temporary accommodation for those affected.
Firefighters and rescue teams swarmed the scene, and police cordoned off surrounding streets.
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.
GNA