Peralada hotel gas explosion leaves two men injured

Two men were injured, one of them critically, after a gas explosion at a rural hotel in Peralada in the early hours of the morning.

The blast happened at Can Carbó, a traditional Catalan farmhouse, or masia, that has been converted into visitor accommodation. The building has a ground floor and two upper storeys and lies within the municipality of Peralada, a few kilometres inland from Castelló d'Empúries.

Tank explosion and fire

Emergency services received the call at 2.18am. A gas tank outside the hotel exploded and the blast immediately started a fire.

The Bombers, Catalonia's fire and rescue service, sent nine ground units. On arrival, firefighters rescued two people. According to the Sistema d'Emergències Mèdiques (SEM), the regional emergency medical service, the first was a 47-year-old man in critical condition. He was taken to Vall d'Hebron hospital in Barcelona. The second, a 74-year-old man, had minor injuries and was taken to Hospital Josep Trueta in Girona.

Firefighters also searched the inside of the property to make sure no one else was trapped. The only occupant they found was a dog, which was rescued unharmed.

The fire spread to several rooms. Crews put it out and ventilated the ground floor, where a pocket of gas had built up.

Building sealed off

The fire was extinguished at around 3am. Firefighters then inspected the structure with the help of the Bombers' drone unit.

Damage was extensive in several parts of the hotel. Crews found serious structural damage, and a large part of the building's outer walls and openings had collapsed. The entire property has been sealed off.

Debris thrown out by the explosion also hit the roof of a neighbouring house. Firefighters checked it and found no damage.

One fire crew remained at the scene later in the morning to keep dampening the area. Technicians from the gas company were also working on site to make the installation safe.

"It looked like a bomb"

The alarm was raised by Joan Cros, who lives on a neighbouring farm. He heard the loud blast and went over to see what had happened.

When he arrived, he found the two injured men outside the building. One was in a very serious condition, with multiple burns. According to Cros, the men were the owner of the property and his carer.

"It looked like a bomb," Cros told the Catalan News Agency (ACN).

Cros said the explosion affected the residential part of the farmhouse. The section used for tourism was not damaged. He added that the hotel's only guest at the time came out after the explosion and was able to leave on her own shortly afterwards.

The hotel had still been full of tourists over the weekend, Cros said.

Why It Matters

For neighbours and people living around Peralada, the most important news is that no one else was hurt. That was partly a matter of timing. The explosion happened in the residential part of the farmhouse, on a night when only one guest was staying. Cros's remark that the hotel was full over the weekend suggests the outcome could have been far more serious a few days earlier.

The incident will be relevant to many readers. Converted farmhouses are a familiar part of rural tourism in the Alt Empordà, and outdoor gas tanks like the one involved here are a common sight at country properties. Owners of rural homes and holiday lets may want to use the news as a prompt to check that their own installations are properly maintained. Guests could also reasonably ask about safety arrangements when they book.

Several questions remain open. The cause of the explosion has not been reported, and it is worth watching whether the gas company or the authorities release more details. The condition of the critically injured man is the most pressing concern. Given the serious structural damage, it also remains to be seen whether Can Carbó can reopen, and when.