Two Bodies Found, Two Missing After Madrid Building Collapse

Spanish emergency services recovered two bodies from the rubble following the collapse of a building under construction in central Madrid on Tuesday. Authorities reported that two more people remain missing and several workers were injured.

Emergency services reported on X that firefighters were operating near Plaza Mayor, a popular tourist area, “after the collapse of various floor slabs.”

Francisco Martín Aguirre, the central government’s top representative in the Madrid region, told reporters that the collapse caused the building’s floors to give way down to the basement.

“The damage is very severe, and the possible impact on adjacent buildings is also being analysed,” he said.

Madrid municipal police confirmed that neighbouring buildings were being evacuated as a precaution.

The total number of injuries was initially unclear.

• Francisco Martín Aguirre estimated around 10 injuries, mostly minor.
• Inmaculada Sanz, deputy mayor and top security official at Madrid town hall, later confirmed three injured individuals.
• Emergency services had initially reported three injured workers, none serious.
• Madrid Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida stated that one injured worker had been taken to hospital.

Regarding the missing, Aguirre initially reported four people unaccounted for, with Sanz specifying three men and one woman. Late Tuesday, Martínez-Almeida confirmed that two of the missing had been found, at least one being a man, while searches continue for the remaining two.

Police using drones cordoned off the street, which was crowded with ambulances, police vehicles, and onlookers.

Milagros García Benito, who works at a hairdresser opposite the building, described the moment to AFP: “There was an enormous explosion. It blew out the glass and everything. Lots of white dust, you couldn’t see anything. Firefighters and police started arriving quickly.”

Sanz added that the amount of rubble is very significant, warning that the emergency response will likely take several days, not just hours.

The collapsed structure was a former office building being converted into a hotel. Madrid town hall records indicate that a permit for the conversion was granted in February.

According to the land registry, the building had:

Authorities continue to search the rubble and assess the impact on adjacent structures, emphasising that safety measures and evacuations remain in place.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with construction work in densely populated urban areas.