Madrid: Four killed after building collapse in Spanish capital

Four people are dead after a building under renovation collapsed in Spain’s capital of Madrid.

Two bodies were found in the debris late on Tuesday (local time), nearly 10 hours after the accident, the city’s mayor, José Martínez Almeida, said.

Two more were found and recovered early on Wednesday, Spain’s broadcaster RTVE reported.

Four people were initially reported missing, including three men and one woman. Authorities said the woman was the lead architect on the project.

Three workers were injured in the collapse, two lightly and one with a fractured leg, authorities said.

The six-storey building partially collapsed just after 1pm on Tuesday near Plaza de Isabel II, also known as Plaza de Ópera. The building had been under renovation for some time.

“Several ceiling structures of the building, which was undergoing renovation, collapsed,” said Beatriz Martín, spokeswoman for Madrid’s emergency services, adding that it was “too early” to speculate about the cause.

Eyewitnesses reported a loud bang followed by a dense cloud of dust.

“Suddenly you couldn’t see anything,” José, a worker from a nearby bar, told RTVE.

“It sounded like a bomb, we were all very scared,” said Boyana, an employee at a bakery near the scene of the accident.

Sixteen units of the Madrid fire brigade were deployed to secure debris, prevent further collapses and search for potentially buried people. Sniffer dogs and drones were also used, and emergency services cordoned off the area.

The building, which previously housed offices, had been approved for conversion into tourist accommodation.