A major explosion damaged a building adjoining a nursing home and close to a school in the centre of Madrid at around 3:00 PM on Wednesday, Spanish media report.
At least two people died, according to the fire brigade, quoted by El País. The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez Almeida, confirmed both deaths.
Three floors of the six-storey building were blown down. The building is starting to burn from the inside, the mayor said.
The fire and rescue services went to the scene and the police cordoned off the street. Firefighters are working on the side of the adjacent wall between the exploded building and the nursing home to check its condition.
Debris has also fallen into the courtyard of the neighbouring school.
As for the injured, "we do not know if there have been any (other) casualties so far, apart from a few scratches from falling debris, but it seems that in principle they are of a benign nature," added Martinez Almeida.
Residents of the home are being evacuated as a precautionary measure to a nearby hotel, said a spokesman for the Los Nogales group, which manages the residence. There are no injuries among the residents or staff at the facility.
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