Smoke and dust still hung over the Rue-like streets of central Madrid hours after a multi-story residential building gave way in a sudden collapse that emergency officials called "a difficult and delicate" rescue operation. Firefighters with the Bomberos de Madrid were still searching through rubble late into the afternoon as ambulances shuttled the injured to nearby hospitals and crews set up temporary accommodation for dozens of displaced residents.

"We are focused on saving lives and making sure everyone is accounted for," said a fire-department spokesperson at the scene. Rescue teams were using thermal imaging cameras and sniffer dogs, he said, while engineers assessed the stability of adjacent buildings to prevent further incidents. Access to the area was restricted and several streets remained closed, snarling commuter traffic in a district that blends old masonry apartment blocks with small businesses.

Local emergency medical services reported that several people had been hospitalized with injuries ranging from cuts and broken bones to respiratory issues caused by dust inhalation. Authorities said the death toll was being confirmed and that they expected numbers to change as search-and-rescue work continued. A police investigator cautioned that it was too early to conclude what caused the collapse and that a criminal inquiry had been opened to determine whether negligence, structural failure or an accidental explosion played a role.

Neighbors described a terrifying moment. "I woke up to a thunderous boom and the whole building shook," said a woman who said she had escaped with her two children. "We saw people on the balconies, and then the facade just fell." Her account was echoed by others who spoke of midnight evacuations and the confusion of trying to find loved ones.

City officials have pledged urgent support. Madrid's municipal government set up a reception center for those displaced and said it would provide emergency housing and counseling. "Our priority is the victims and their families," a city representative said. Regional authorities also dispatched structural engineers to evaluate damage to surrounding properties and to determine whether further evacuations were necessary.

The collapse has revived a broader debate about building safety in European capitals where centuries-old structures are often retrofitted for modern life. Spain has faced a housing squeeze and a boom in property renovations in recent years, and advocates say regulatory oversight can lag behind the rapid pace of work. Legal experts warned that the investigation could extend for months and may involve civil and criminal liability if contractors or owners are found to have breached safety regulations.

Internationally, the incident underscores challenges shared by dense, historic cities from Lisbon to Istanbul, where maintaining heritage architecture intersects with contemporary safety standards. Humanitarian responders and urban planners say the best response combines immediate rescue capacity with long-term investments in inspections, enforcement and socially sensitive rehousing policies.

As evening fell, emergency lights continued to sweep the scene and volunteers brought blankets and hot drinks for residents gathered outside a cordon of police tape. For many in the neighborhood, the collapse was both a crisis and a reminder of how quickly ordinary life can be overturned and how reliant urban communities remain on the readiness of their emergency services.