A butane gas cylinder explosion in the kitchen of a building on Venero street, in Barcelona's Poblenou neighborhood, has left three floors uninhabitable out of a total of 12 and has forced the relocation of some residents. The mother and son who were rescued from a window suffered serious injuries.
The building does not present structural damage, but most of the homes remain without water or electricity due to the impact on the facilities. That is now the main uncertainty for those affected, who can return to part of the property but do not know when they will recover basic supplies.
Nine neighbors slept at the CUESB and three remained in the building without supplies
Nine people, including two minors, have spent the night at the Barcelona Social Emergency and Urgency Centre, while three residents have spent the night in the building despite the lack of basic services. The rest of those affected have stayed with family or friends.
The Barcelona Firefighters have indicated that the repair of the water and electricity facilities could take several days. At the same time, they have ruled out structural damage to the building.
Cristina Bartolomé, affected neighbor, summarized the situation of those who are still waiting to return to normal like this.
"We don't know when the services will return" - Cristina Bartolomé, affected resident
The Barcelona City Council offers those affected up to three nights of accommodation and is evaluating the activation of other housing resources. The measure is aimed at people who cannot return to their homes under minimum conditions.
A neighbor took a minor out the window with a long ladder
During the emergency, a worker from the Tattoo Arrels studio participated in one of the rescues. Ramiro explained that his boss, Javi, used a long ladder with the help of other neighbors to get a minor out of a window.
The explosion occurred in the kitchen of the building located on Venero street. Three floors have been left uninhabitable out of a total of 12, although the rest of the apartments can be occupied once basic conditions are re-established.
Meanwhile, the Mossos d'Esquadra maintain the investigation open to clarify what caused the butane gas cylinder explosion. The first works focus on determining the exact origin of the blast inside the affected dwelling.
Ramiro, a worker at Tattoo Arrels, reported that Javi carried out the rescue with a long ladder and the help of other neighbors, and that the mother and son rescued were seriously injured.