The mayor of Madrid says that at least two people died Wednesday in a blast that an initial assessment linked to a gas leak. The explosion partially destroyed a building.

A nearby nursing home was evacuated although no injuries have been reported among the residents.

José Luis Martínez Almeida, who visited the site of the blast, told the local Telemadrid news channel that he couldn't confirm how many people had been injured.

He said that no serious damage had been initially registered in the nearby school.

Images and footage shared on social media showed a tower of smoke coming out from the six-story building and rubble scattered in Toledo Street, near the city center. 

Emergency crews could be seen aiding several people on the ground in video aired by Spanish public broadcaster. There were no immediate reports of deaths.

The school nearby was empty, according to TVE, because classes had not resumed yet following a record snowfall in the Spanish capital on Jan. 9.