Four construction workers die after building collapses in Madrid

Four construction workers have died after a building under renovation collapsed in central Madrid, near the city’s opera house and royal palace.

The building, which was in the process of being renovated, collapsed at 1pm local time on Tuesday afternoon in central Madrid, near the city’s opera house and royal palace.

The top floor of the building collapsed, which then pancaked the lower floors under the weight.

Deputy Mayor Inma Sanz warned: ‘The upper floors collapsed and fell downwards, therefore we’re talking about a very significant amount of rubble that will take a long time to clear – not just hours, but probably several days.’

The bodies of four people – three men and one woman – have been recovered by emergency services digging through the debris.

Another three workers were injured, one of whom was taken to hospital with a broken leg.

The front of the building remains standing despite the collapse behind (Picture: Luis Soto/SOPA Images/Shutterstock)

Madrid’s emergency services confirmed on X at about 11pm local time that two bodies had been recovered from the rubble.

A further two bodies were found at 3am.

One construction worker, identified only as Mikhail, was pumping concrete into the building’s lower floors and was outside when the collapse occurred.

He said he saw a large cloud of dust and immediately sprinted away, adding: ‘I was the first to run, I didn’t care about anything else. I’ll save my life first and, if I can, save others later.’

Police had brought in sniffer dogs and drones to try and find those still missing.

The road has been cordoned off (Picture: Miguel Escavias/Alfa Images/Shutterstock)

Footage from the scene showed dozens of emergency workers working in tandem to pass supportive poles and remove debris from the scene.

A view past the building’s facade showed a deep rubble-filled hole where the interior used to be.

Pictures show the building’s facade was covered by a huge green tarp typically used by construction crews when renovating older buildings.

It’s thought the facade, which remained standing after the collapse, may have prevented most of the debris from reaching the street.

The building, which had five storeys above ground and a basement level was in the process of being converted into a hotel, according to developer Rehbilita’s website.