A sinkhole measuring eight meters in diameter forced the evacuation of 23 people from four buildings in Barcelona’s Putxet district. No injuries were reported. Authorities responded quickly to secure the area and assess the damage.
Authorities in Barcelona evacuated 23 residents from four apartment buildings in the Putxet neighborhood on Tuesday morning after a significant sinkhole appeared in an interior courtyard. The incident, which occurred between 10:30 and 11:00, prompted a rapid response from the Guàrdia Urbana and six units of the Bombers de Barcelona. According to municipal sources cited by Europa Press, no injuries have been reported, but the scale of the collapse required immediate action to ensure public safety.
The sinkhole, estimated at around eight meters in diameter, affected both the shared courtyard and a small storage facility within the block. Emergency teams from the Centre d’Urgències i Emergències Socials de Barcelona (Cuesb) were activated to assist displaced residents and coordinate support services. The affected buildings are located in the plaza del Putxet, within the Sarrià-Sant Gervasi district, an area known for its residential character and proximity to key city infrastructure.
Deputy mayor and district councilor Maria Eugènia Gay visited the site to oversee the emergency response and meet with local residents. The city’s swift intervention aimed to prevent further risk and to assess the structural integrity of the surrounding properties. As a precaution, access to the affected courtyard and adjacent storage area was restricted while technical teams conducted inspections and began planning stabilization measures.
This incident comes amid heightened attention to urban safety in Barcelona, following a series of recent emergencies in the city. Just days earlier, a fatal shooting in the La Pegaso district drew significant police resources and public concern, as detailed in a recent report on the investigation into the teenager’s death in La Sagrera. While the causes of the sinkhole in Putxet remain under review, the city’s emergency protocols have once again been put to the test.
Sinkholes in urban environments can result from a variety of factors, including water leaks, aging infrastructure, or geological shifts. In Spain, such incidents are relatively rare but can have significant consequences for residents and property owners. Barcelona’s municipal authorities routinely monitor older neighborhoods for signs of subsidence or structural weakness, especially in densely built areas like Sarrià-Sant Gervasi. The rapid mobilization of emergency services in this case underscores the city’s commitment to resident safety and the importance of ongoing investment in urban maintenance. Residents affected by the evacuation are being supported by social services while engineers continue their assessment of the site. Updates on the reopening of the buildings and the long-term remediation plan are expected as technical evaluations progress.
