I heard the sirens during the night, but didn't pay much attention. When we got up at 9:00 am, we could see the column of smoke rising. Looking from our front balcony we can see the building is now nothing more than a skeleton. Scary after seeing the posting above! Still at little smoke just after noon and the tunnel under Plaza Republica Agentina for Joaquin Costa is still closed off. From the reports this is going to continue to be a problem. I believe there has been renovation going on in the building for a couple months now.

Metro line disruptions would be those going through Nuevos Ministerios and Cuatro Caminos.

There is still smoke on the skyline as can be seen with the Madrid Skyline Webcam at
Madrid Skyline

Canal Sur Web carries an article in Spanish and more images at:
Canal Sur Web

There is some video footage on the CNN News Web Site

Saludos
Robbieroy

Last news are that the building continues burning at the first floors, and collapse is still a possibility, though it may not collpase too.




Seven firemen have been injured by smoke, but they are all ok. Noone has died so far (cross your fingers if the building falls!).

The zone is going to be closed for the next 5 days to avoid personal risks.

Fernando

The fire was 2 minutes walking from my house and I went to see at around 4.00. It was a huge fire and the whole night we have had helikoptera en BOEM sounds. This morning when I got the news paper it was still smoking and copletly burned out. realy shocking.

If five fire fighters were injured and will recover, no one died, then it is no big deal. Everything else can be replaced, and rebuilt. Obviously, Madrid has a first class fire department.

You are right DD, our emergency teams are really superb.

Some people say that this will end Madrid's chances of getting the Olympiads. I think that this is a clear demonstration on how to manage a critical accident, along with the bomb alert in Real Madrid's Stadium (evacuated in 5 minutes with noone injured), the last ETA bomb (40 injured, all lightly) and 11-M (as grave as it was, emergency teams excelled in their performance to minimize injuries and avoid more deaths).

Of course, Olympiads mean nothing compared to a single life, but we can really be calm with our emergency services (firemen, policemne, healthcare,...).

Oh... the building has not collapsed, the fire is controlled, but the next 48 hours are critical because when the structure gets colder it may break.

Fernando

This is amazing...but wonderful that no one's been killed or even seriously injured. I've been watching the coverage all day on TV and its rather eery to see how some of the pictures shown of the building closely resemble some of the pictures seen post- 9/11 (charred shell of a building).

I was amazed to hear about this fire when I woke up this morning, because I had just been out with my friends in Rios Rosas last night and hadn't noticed any commotion at all (no sirens or anything...)It wasn't until I was on the Metro on my way to church that I started heard about the closings on the metro due to "last night's fire" (I believe it was Lineas 1,6, and 8)

Excellent points, Fernando. Disasters and emergencies can occur anywhere, it's how they are handled that makes all the difference.

If anything, the competent handling of this fire would tend to signify that Madrid is ready for anything.

Fernando: I think you are not looking at this in the correct light. If anything this should improve Madrid's chance to get the Olympics. It proves to the world that Madrid has a first class emergancy respose force. To have come through something like this without one fatality. It speaks volumes for the Madird Fire Department.

My question for you Fernando is, the papers and news sites have been saying that the building was vacant for renovation. Do the Madrid building authorities order the occupants to vacate a building when it is to under go renovation? Here in the US when a building is to be renovated the occupants "keep business as usual." There is a 25 story building here in Phoenix that my wife worked in, and they had it tore up for about two years while the remodle job was being done, the business occupants never missed a beat. Rather messy and inconvienant, but did not have to move out.

It was not vacant for the renovations, it was vacant because it was Saturday night. Rest of thw week it was fully inhabited, everyone working as usual.
That's the worrying thing, had it been 1PM on monday, and hundreds could have DIED. The fire extinction systems didn't work!
And I agree with Fernando, this doesn't give me good feelings about M2012, it's been a sad week just after the Olympic comitee departed, a bombing and a huge fire... we don't feel very confident.