An explosion at a hotel in Granada has left a worker seriously injured and forced the evacuation of dozens of guests.
The blast struck the Hotel Olas de Almuñécar on Monday afternoon, in the centre of Almuñecar, a town popular with British expats and tourists.
Emergency services say the explosion is believed to have been caused by gas and occurred at around 1.10pm on the top floor of the building.
At the time, a worker was said to be handling the hotel’s boiler system.
He was rushed to the Hospital Santa Ana de Motril in a serious condition.
Several firefighters were also treated for smoke inhalation, although their injuries were not considered serious.
Witnesses described a ‘huge bang’ as the blast tore through the upper part of the hotel, sparking a fire on the fourth floor.
The force of the explosion caused debris to fall onto nearby streets.
The hotel, located on Avenida de Europa, was around 60% full at the time, with roughly 50 guests inside.
All were evacuated as a precaution while emergency crews moved in to secure the building.
Firefighters, Guardia Civil, Local Police and Civil Protection teams were all deployed to the scene.
The cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
Authorities have also notified labour inspectors, as the incident is being treated as a workplace accident.
Read more Andalucia news at the Spanish Eye.
