On an ordinary Friday morning, Iker had just stepped out of the shower when a sudden, deafening roar shattered the quiet. The blast hit Zamakola street at number 28 with the force of a storm, rattling walls and sending a tremor through the city blocks. The ground shook, and the explosion echoed through the family home, leaving the residents stunned and searching for explanations in the rising dust and heat. In the moment it happened, the young man could hardly grasp what was unfolding, his senses still catching up with the disruption that had ripped through their routine in an instant.
He recalls the moment with a mix of disbelief and alertness. The shower steam and the initial odor of gas had already lingered, a worrisome scent that had gone unnoticed by many as they hurried through their morning tasks. Then the wall of flame burst into view. A neighbor from portal number 28, who had stepped out to check on the noise, described how flames leapt and climbed the facade with alarming speed. She shouted a warning and urged people to move quickly, grabbing the bare essentials and stepping outside before the situation could worsen. The neighbor remembered not having time to finish a routine task; the urgency of the moment demanded rapid motion and clear decisions to reach safety.
The arrival of the firefighters brought a much-needed sense of relief to the anxious crowd gathered nearby. The sight of trained professionals moving with purpose offered a steadying presence, a tangible sign that help had arrived and that control was being restored. While fear lingered about further explosions, the calm instructions from the fire crews—guidance on where to stand, where to shelter, and when it was safe to re-enter a building—brought comfort to those watching from a safe distance. The coordinated response helped calm the frightened residents, turning a chaotic scene into a controlled operation, at least for the moment, as teams worked to assess damage and secure the area.