Olive Press News Spain
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TWO people have been killed after a building exploded in the centre of Madrid just before 3pm today.
The strong blast in the Puerta de Toledo area could be felt for several kilometres around and has reduced the top half of the affected building to rubble.
The building is located behind the La Paloma church and is used as a residence for the priests.
A nursing home and school are nearby, the latter of which is believed to have been closed at the time of the blast.
Nearby residents are being evacuated while the area has been cordoned off.
Priest, parishioner among casualties in Madrid explosion Firefighters work after a deadly explosion at the parish center of the Church of Our Lady of La Paloma in downtown Madrid Jan. 20, 2021. A priest and a member of the parish were among four killed in the explosion, which was caused by a gas leak. CNS photo/Juan Medina, Reuters
Priest, parishioner among casualties in Madrid explosion By
Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service January 21, 2021
VATICAN CITY A young priest ordained only six months ago was among the casualties of an explosion at a parish center in Madrid.
The Archdiocese of Madrid confirmed Jan. 21 that Father Ruben Perez Ayala, a priest at the Church of Our Lady of La Paloma, died in the early hours of the morning due to internal hemorrhaging he suffered after the blast.