Why it matters:
The incident shook the densely populated Vallecas district, raising concern among residents as authorities work to determine the cause.
The big picture:
The blast occurred at around 3 pm (13:00 GMT) in a south-central neighborhood of the city.
Emergency responders evacuated the area and treated multiple victims on site before transferring them to nearby hospitals.
Spain has experienced deadly urban blasts in the past, often linked to gas leaks in residential or commercial buildings.
Go deeper:
In 2021, an explosion at a building in central Madrid killed four people, which was later attributed to a gas leak.
Vallecas, a working-class district, has a high density of residential and commercial properties where such incidents have previously raised safety concerns.
Mojtaba Darabi - Hossein Vaez
