Oviedo building explosion and fire displaces residents

An explosion followed by a large fire broke out at number 26 on Valentín Masip street in Oviedo, Spain, early Saturday morning. The blast ignited the building’s common areas, causing extensive smoke damage, disabling one of the two elevators and rendering the intercom inoperable. Residents were evacuated; many remain displaced while repairs are planned, with estimates of two months to restore the structure.

Police detained a man believed to have caused the explosion. He is being held at the Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias with polytrauma after falling from the third floor and was reported to have suffered a psychotic episode. His lawyer says the suspect claimed he was being persecuted. Judicial proceedings are pending. Firefighters have advised occupants to wear masks in the soot‑filled corridors and to avoid moving furniture until the building is fully stabilized. The building’s administrator, Héctor Lafuente of Geda, has hired a cleaning firm to remove soot from the third floor, a task expected to take three days.