Madrid Explosion Leaves at Least 2 Dead

An explosion tore through a building in central Madrid on Wednesday, leaving at least two people dead and several more wounded, the local authorities said, as rescuers scrambled to treat the injured.

The mayor of Madrid, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, told local news outlets that the explosion appeared to be the result of a gas leak. He also cautioned that the death toll was preliminary, and the number could rise.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez of Spain acknowledged the explosion in a post on Twitter, and shared a warning from the police urging residents to stay away from the scene.

Videos aired on local news outlets and shared on social media showed smoke rising from the damaged building, where the facade appeared to have been torn off the top six floors, and debris visible in the street. Dozens of firefighters and emergency workers could be seen treating the injured near the site.

The explosion happened on Calle Toledo, a historic street in central Madrid between the Puerta de Toledo, a local landmark, and the Plaza Mayor. The building is next to a school, which said on Twitter that no one had been injured there.