Najmanje osam ozlijeđenih u eksploziji plina na Plaça de Sants

An explosion caused by a gas leak at the worksite of the Sants metro station in Barcelona resulted in eight injured individuals, two of whom were seriously hurt, and triggered a fire that burned for nearly two hours. The incident occurred on Wednesday evening after workers detected a gas leak around the L5 metro line station at approximately 2:40 PM. According to emergency services, a pipeline was affected during the ongoing construction work aimed at improving accessibility at the station. Emergency crews, including nine units from the Barcelona Fire Department and personnel from the gas company, responded promptly to contain the leak, which appeared to have been successfully managed before the explosion took place at 10:50 PM. The blast led to a significant fire that continued burning for almost two hours due to the accumulated amount of gas. Several fire departments deployed to the Plaza de Sants area to extinguish the flames, with firefighters emphasizing that the flow of gas would continue until the construction work was completed. They urged nearby residents not to risk their safety by looking out of windows despite the dramatic appearance of the fire. The System of Medical Emergencies activated eight ambulances and set up an advanced medical center at the scene. The Urban Guard cordoned off the area and closed traffic on Sants Street. In response to the incident, the Procicat emergency plan for Catalonia was activated. Metro services closed access to the Galileo street entrance, but both Line 1 and Line 5 continued operating. If the fire had not been extinguished by Thursday, the Metropolitan Transport Consortium (TMB) warned that they might reroute bus lines. An investigation has been launched to determine the exact cause of the incident. A week prior to this latest incident, another explosion caused by a gas leak at the worksite of the Sants metro station resulted in eight injuries, two of them serious. This incident happened near the main train station in the Catalan capital, where a large flame was active for several hours. Firefighters worked with multiple teams deployed in the area. On Monday, a fire broke out in the overhead power lines of the Barcelona metro system, forcing the evacuation of the Glòries station and the closure of the Clot station. Over 130 people were affected, with six suffering more severe conditions primarily due to smoke inhalation and anxiety. Of these, 39 required transportation to hospitals or primary care urgent centers. Specifically, six individuals were taken to the Sant Pau Hospital; five to the Sagrat Cor Hospital; four to the Hospital del Mar; and 24 to the Primary Care Urgency Centers in Sant Martí, Dos de Maig, Cotxeres, and Pere Camps. The System of Medical Emergencies dispatched a total of 24 ambulances. Just before 6:00 PM, the movement between the stations was halted due to an incident that created intense smoke and left a train stranded in the tunnel between the two stations. It was then that passengers aboard the stopped train opted to force open the doors and exit through the tunnel in both directions. Affected individuals were able to reach the outside areas (both Glòries and Clot) and received attention from emergency services deployed at the location. The Mossos d'Esquadra, the Urban Guard, and the city's firefighters arrived at the site and declared the fire extinguished shortly after 7:30 PM. According to statements made to the media at the scene, Xavier Flores, the managing director of Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona (TMB), explained that a lining in the tunnel of the L1 metro line in Barcelona had caused the fire in the overhead power lines. This fire, visible from the street, forced the suspension of L1 operations between the Universitat and La Sagrera stations. Additionally, the H12, V25, and 192 bus lines modified their routes along Independence Avenue and Meridiana Avenue due to the public road measures implemented to assist the affected individuals. Separately, in the province of Castellón, a fire that started in the municipality of La Vall d'Uixó has already consumed over 4,300 hectares and displaced more than 16,000 people from 15 municipalities. The regional government has indicated that the fire does not appear to have originated from natural causes. Pilar Bernabé, the delegate of the Government in the Valencian Community, stated that all investigations are ongoing, but it is clear that the fire did not occur due to natural factors. She mentioned that testimonies are being collected from individuals who may have information regarding the origin of the flames. The fire has a perimeter exceeding 40 kilometers and remains largely out of control. More than 450 personnel are working to contain the blaze, with expectations of having 20 aerial resources available throughout the day. The fire has forced the evacuation of some neighborhoods in La Vall d'Uixó and Betxí, while others remain under confinement. Nineteen individuals have been treated for smoke inhalation, with seven still under observation at the La Plana Hospital, two admitted for treatment, and one receiving urgent care.