Several colleges evacuated in Madrid after huge gas explosion near Complutense University

A huge explosion in Madrid has resulted in several colleges being evacuated as a precautionary measure.

According to Emergencies Madrid, the blast occurred at around 3 pm on Calle Ramiro de Maeztu. It was reportedly caused by a broken gas pipe in the area next to Complutense University.

Traffic was subsequently cut off in the streets surrounding Moncloa. Several colleges and buildings in the surrounding streets were evacuated, including the College of Our Lady of Africa, which is located next to the site of the explosion.

There is a large concentration of educational facilities in the area around Complutense University with most of the residents of the area being young students.

How did the emergency services prevent further explosions?

The gas company immediately cut off the supply to the area after the explosion happened to prevent a build-up of gases in the area that could cause another blast.

A total of 14 fire crews from Madrid City Council were deployed to deal with the incident. They were joined by ambulances from SAMUR-PC, Municipal Police patrols, SUMMA 112 and patrols from the National Police.

Firefighters at the scene reportedly battled to prevent the fire from affecting the Nuestra Señora de África main residence hall, reported elmundo.es.

How long did it take to extinguish the fire?

A representative for Emergencies Madrid explained: ‘At the moment the firefighters are letting the gas burn to avoid an explosion.’ By 4 pm, the blaze was almost completely extinguished, with the firefighters damping down the entire area with water.

Samur sources confirmed that there were no injuries. To avoid a greater disaster, the emergency services allowed the flames from the broken pipe to continue burning so that all the escaping gas was eventually burned off.

This normal protocol however led to the striking images that were posted on social media showing a large tongue of fire in the area.

El incendio se ha sofocado prácticamente por completo. @BomberosMad está terminando de refrescar. La compañía de gas ya ha cortado el suministro.

Los servicios de emergencia siguen en la zona. Afortunadamente no se han producido heridos.#Explosión pic.twitter.com/SmhvtuG7Fp

— Emergencias Madrid (@EmergenciasMad) October 24, 2023