The incident began at midday due to the accidental rupture of a pipe during accessibility works at the Plaça de Sants metro station, on lines 1 and 5. The flame, visible throughout the night, remains active hours after the accident.
Of the eight affected, two were seriously injured and transferred to Vall d'Hebron Hospital, along with two less seriously injured. Three minor injuries and one less serious were treated at Hospital Clínic. They were workers on site attempting to control the blast.
Barcelona Firefighters expect the flame to extinguish itself in the coming hours. Intervention chief Albert Ventosa explained that the complexity of the gas distribution network, which is "meshed and interconnected" with few valves, hindered a rapid extinction. The process to control the leak involves inserting balloons into the pipes to sectorize it, a time-consuming task.
As a precautionary measure, gas supply has been cut to two apartment blocks on Passeig de Sant Antoni. Deputy Mayor Albert Batlle highlighted that the impact on residents has been "minimal" despite the overnight disturbances. The Guàrdia Urbana has asked residents to remain calm and avoid approaching the area.
The area remains cordoned off, causing traffic diversions around the square and affecting five TMB bus lines (D20, H10, V5, 52, and 78). The metro service on line 5 is operating normally, while line 1 remains interrupted between Plaça de Sants and Florida due to ongoing works.
