Madrid's emergency services say rescue teams, firefighters and police are working in a central area of the Spanish capital following an explosion that witnesses described as extremely loud.
Madrid's mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida, said at least two people had died from the blast, adding that it may have been due to a gas leak.
Videos and images shared on social media showed a tower of smoke coming out from a building and rubble scattered in a central street of Madrid. Spanish public broadcaster TVE said the explosion took place in a building near a nursing home.
The building, located on Toledo street in the district of La Latina, was originally said to be a senior care home but has now been reported to be the parish center of the Church of Virgen de la Paloma, Spanish news website El Pais reported.
Leire Reparaz, who lives near the Puerto de Toledo, a local landmark, told The Associated Press that she heard a loud explosion.
"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.
With inputs from agencies
