According to the Mayor of Machico, Ricardo Franco, the explosion took place at around 4:05 am in the Machico Parque building, a housing structure managed by the public company Investimentos Habitacionais da Madeira, located in the parish of Água de Pena.

The mayor said the explosion caused the death of two people - a man and a woman, whose age has not yet been determined - who lived in adjoining apartments.

The explosion also caused damage to several other apartments and a vehicle that was parked outside, requiring the relocation of about ten residents, due to “significant cracks” in the structure of the building and several floods resulting from ruptures in the plumbing.

The Municipal Fire Department of Machico provided assistance at the scene, which was also attended by the Public Security Police and the Judiciary Police, which is investigating the causes of the gas leak.