One dead and 25 injured in explosion at Madrid bar
A powerful gas explosion on Saturday in Madrid’s Puente de Vallecas district caused significant damage to a bar and the residential building above it. A 52-year-old man was killed, and 25 others were injured, three of them seriously.
The blast occurred in the afternoon at number 3, Manuel Maroto Street. Firefighters and police sniffer dogs resumed their search on Sunday morning after family members were unable to contact the victim. He was eventually found buried in the building’s basement beneath more than a metre of rubble, El País reported.
Residents evacuated
The force of the explosion also affected a nearby residential building that had been converted for commercial use. The structure between the ground and first floors sustained serious damage, forcing the evacuation of nine residents. Madrid’s deputy mayor, Inma Sanz, stated that residents would not be able to return for several days until the site was deemed safe. City technical experts are currently assessing the full extent of the damage, while the social service known as Samur Social is providing temporary accommodation for those displaced.
Due to the unstable condition of the building, debris is being cleared manually by firefighters, as the use of heavy machinery would pose too great a risk. Rescue teams managed to free four people from the rubble, and current investigations suggest no other individuals remain trapped at the site.
Strong smell of gas detected before the explosion
According to local residents, a total of 11 families lived in the affected flats, including the owners of the converted shop where the explosion occurred. They had moved into the property six months ago with the owner’s permission. The nearby bar, Mis Tesoros, also suffered extensive damage.
Eyewitnesses said the bar was full at the time of the explosion, and nearby pedestrians rushed to help. Many reported detecting a strong smell of gas in the area shortly before the blast.
Actualización.@SAMUR_PC y #SUMMA112 han atendido a 21 heridos, 3 de ellos graves y 2 potencialmente graves.
18 dotaciones de @BomberosMad siguen trabajando en el desescombro. Se suma su Unidad Canina.
La Sección de Apoyo Aéreo de @policiademadrid está trabajando con drones. pic.twitter.com/saoEavBV9g
— Emergencias Madrid (@EmergenciasMad) September 13, 2025
Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida expressed his condolences via social media to the victim’s family and to those injured, stressing that the city’s emergency teams were working around the clock at the scene. This included 18 fire department units, as well as drone support from the police. Reyes Maroto, a Madrid representative for the PSOE party, also voiced her support for the victims and thanked emergency services for their swift response.
The official investigation into the explosion is still ongoing. While it is believed to have been caused by a build-up of gas, the exact origin, type of gas involved, and precise location of the explosion have yet to be confirmed.
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