Railway sinkholes in the districts of Sarrià-Sant Gervasi and Nou Barris, and a gas deflagration with more than 12 hours of flames in Sants-Montjuïc’s main square. In recent days, Barcelona has seen a series of unsettling incidents linked to public works that have generated a certain distrust among citizens. Technicians say there is nothing to fear, that it is just a coincidence and that one must have faith that things are being done well. In the case of Sants square, the accessibility works for the metro station caused the perforation of a gas pipe this Wednesday, turning the street into an immense brazier two days before the anniversary of the inauguration of the 1992 Games at the Olympic Stadium, not far from here.
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The City Council has had to face the music, but it is a project led by the Department of Territory, which awarded the station adaptation project in January 2026, and the work began in mid-February with 30 months ahead and a budget close to 16 million euros. The Deputy Mayor for Security, Albert Batlle, gave the report this Thursday morning and took the opportunity, in response to journalists’ questions, to “demand full accountability from the administrations and companies responsible for these actions.”
Wednesday was just another day at the construction site, but something happened with the drilling machine. For reasons yet to be investigated, shortly before three in the afternoon, a gas pipe was scratched and began to leak. The company was notified to resolve it, and about seven hours later, also for reasons not yet known, the tremendous deflagration occurred, leaving eight people injured, two of them seriously.
“They told us not to go out onto the balconies, and the truth is that going to sleep knowing you had that in front of your house wasn’t easy,” shared Maribel, a resident of Sants street, this Thursday. “I saw the firefighters very calm, but the flame was more than 10 meters high!” exclaimed another resident of the area, though a little further away, on Jocs Florals street, next to the occupied house of Can Vies. The technicians, in fact, followed the protocol. Just as a water leak is solved by closing the tap, with gas, it’s more complicated. The fundamental difference is that water wets and makes everything messy, but gas can explode. The flame, in fact, allows you to see where the gas is. It has been contained with a constant jet of water. Without extinguishing the fire, but cooling the area.
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Firefighters have used stoppers to seal the four escape routes. Since the valves cannot be closed (the urban gas mesh system does not allow it), a balloon is inserted and inflated, blocking the gas flow. After plugging the fourth, the flame self-extinguished.
Territori appeared for the first time yesterday at noon through Carles Vaccaro, head of the civil works area of Infraestructures.cat. He said it was the first time he had appeared before the press after 21 years in public works, reassured the public by stating that the two recent incidents bearing Territori’s stamp (the other being the L9 in Sant Gervasi) have only coincided in time but are of a different nature, and asked for “confidence that things will be done well.” He also referred to the Vallbona hole in the Rodalies network. But that, he asserted, is Adif’s responsibility.
