The site of the explosion is not far from Puerta de Toledo, one of the city’s gates and a popular tourist attraction
Massive blast rocked central Madrid today, ripping building apart, destroying cars and covering streets below with debris, shortly before 3pm local time.
According to a statement from Madrid City Council, at lest three people were killed and six were wounded in the explosion. A priest is apparently trapped in one of the stricken buildings and firefighters are working to reach him.
The cause of the explosion is not known yet.
Photos and videos filmed by shocked onlookers show cars destroyed by the blast and smoke billowing from the upper floor of a building.
A local journalist said a “terrible” explosion had occurred in Calle Toledo, a street in a downtown area of the Spanish capital. The street has been cordoned off by first responders.
A spokesperson for the City Council of Madrid confirmed that firefighters, police and civil protection units are responding to the incident.Eight crews of firefighters have been dispatched to the area, according to local news site, TeleMadrid.
A school is reported to have been badly damaged by the explosion, and the smoke seen in videos filmed on the street is said to be coming from a nursing home next door to the building where the blast took place.
The cause of the blast is currently unclear. The building worst affected by the explosion reportedly belongs to the Catholic archbishop of Madrid.
Local residents, including a number of elderly people from the nursing home, are being evacuated from the area, with police reportedly advising people to leave in case there are further explosions.
