By Canadian Press

Blast partly destroys building in Madrid; cause not clear

Jan 20, 2021 | 8:03 AM

MADRID — A loud explosion partially destroyed a small building flanked by a school and a nursing home in the centre of Spain’s capital on Wednesday. It was not clear what caused the blast.

Images and footage shared on social media showed a tower of smoke coming out from the six-story building and rubble scattered in Toledo Street, near the city centre. Emergency crews could be seen aiding several people on the ground in video aired by Spanish public broadcaster. There were no immediate reports of deaths.

The school nearby was empty, according to TVE, because classes had not resumed yet following a record snowfall in the Spanish capital on Jan. 9.

In a tweet, the Madrid regional emergency service said that rescue teams, firefighters and police were working in a central area of the Spanish capital following the explosion.

Leire Reparaz, an area resident, told The Associated Press that she heard a loud explosion some minutes before 3 p.m. local when she was heading to her home near the Puerta de Toledo, a local landmark.

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“We didn’t know where the sound came from. 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 grey smoke,” the 24-year-old Madrid resident said.

The Associated Press