Photo taken on May 6, 2022 shows the explosion site in Madrid, Spain. Two people are missing after an explosion in the center of Madrid on Friday, local emergency services have confirmed. Meanwhile, 18 people were injured, three seriously, in the incident. The explosion happened at around 1:30 p.m. local time (12:30 GMT) at number 35 Calle Ayala, in the exclusive Salamanca neighborhood in the heart of the Spanish capital. Early indications are that the explosion was caused by a gas leak, although this is still under investigation. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)
MADRID, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Two people are missing after an explosion in the center of Madrid on Friday, local emergency services have confirmed. Meanwhile, 18 people were injured, three seriously, in the incident.
The explosion happened at around 1:30 p.m. local time (12:30 GMT) at number 35 Calle Ayala, in the exclusive Salamanca neighborhood in the heart of the Spanish capital. Early indications are that the explosion was caused by a gas leak, although this is still under investigation.
The Mayor of Madrid, Jose Luis Almeida, told the press that "fatalities cannot be ruled out." Meanwhile, the head of the Madrid Fire Department, Rafael Ferrandiz, explained that the missing people were two workers, who are thought to have been on the third floor when the explosion occurred.
The workers could have fallen down to the ground floor patio, which had been covered by two meters of solid rubble, said Ferrandiz. Firemen are working with dogs and drones to try to locate the workers.
The explosion has left the building in a "very unstable," condition, and there is a "a risk of collapse," Ferrandiz added. Therefore, urgent work is being carried out to stabilize the building.
The three seriously injured people are an 84-year-old man who was taken directly to intensive care in a "very serious" condition, a 77-year-old woman with multiple head injuries, and a 44-year-old woman with leg injuries. ■
Rescuers work at the explosion site in Madrid, Spain, May 6, 2022. Two people are missing after an explosion in the center of Madrid on Friday, local emergency services have confirmed. Meanwhile, 18 people were injured, three seriously, in the incident. The explosion happened at around 1:30 p.m. local time (12:30 GMT) at number 35 Calle Ayala, in the exclusive Salamanca neighborhood in the heart of the Spanish capital. Early indications are that the explosion was caused by a gas leak, although this is still under investigation. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)
Rescuers work at the explosion site in Madrid, Spain, May 6, 2022. Two people are missing after an explosion in the center of Madrid on Friday, local emergency services have confirmed. Meanwhile, 18 people were injured, three seriously, in the incident. The explosion happened at around 1:30 p.m. local time (12:30 GMT) at number 35 Calle Ayala, in the exclusive Salamanca neighborhood in the heart of the Spanish capital. Early indications are that the explosion was caused by a gas leak, although this is still under investigation. (Photo by Gustavo Valiente/Xinhua)
