Madrid, Spain— Five people were injured Thursday when a building facade collapsed onto a crowded sidewalk in central Madrid, sending stone and plaster crashing onto pedestrians.
The collapse happened at 3:10 p.m. on Calle de Toledo, near the La Latina district. The building, a six-story residential block built in the 1920s, had scaffolding on its upper floors for renovation. The lower facade gave way without warning.
A section about eight meters wide fell from the second and third floors. It hit the sidewalk and part of the road. Five people were struck. They included two tourists, a delivery rider, and two local residents. None suffered life-threatening injuries, but one woman had a broken leg.
Municipal police and Samur emergency medics arrived in minutes. They cleared rubble and pulled a man trapped under debris. The street was closed. Residents of the building were evacuated as a precaution.
"The facade had visible cracks for months. We reported it to the city," a neighbor who lives across the street told officers. He said netting had been installed but no structural work was done.
City Hall said the building had an open file for facade deterioration since 2024. The owner was ordered to repair it. Work had started on the top floors, but the lower section, which collapsed, was still pending. An inspector had visited last week.
Madrid's older neighborhoods have hundreds of buildings with aging facades. The city has increased inspections after a similar collapse in 2023 injured three in Malasaña. Penalties for owners who delay repairs remain low.
Engineers will now assess whether the rest of the facade is at risk. The street will stay closed for at least 48 hours. The owner faces a possible negligence investigation.
Rescue crews finished clearing debris by 6 p.m. The injured were taken to Hospital Doce de Octubre.
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