AN EXPLOSION in the packed market of a Spanish Tourist city has left several people injured, emergency services on the scene have confirmed.
Emergency services raced to the scene at 11.10am local time (10.10am GMT) following the blast in the city of Lorca in Murcia, South East Spain where people had been busily carrying out their Christmas shopping.
Officials confirmed there were three casualities – including a woman who was raced to hospital after sustaining leg injuries.
The woman –the most seriously injured victim of the incident – was immediately treated by nurse Saturnina Martinez who was at the scene at the time.
Police quickly placed the scene on lockdown as they investigated the incident following a heightened state of alert in the country after the Barcelona terror attack in August.
A local emergency services centre tweeted: “Explosion in Lorca. Situation totally under control. Three people injured.”
The other two people injured in the incident suffered cuts and lacerations to their legs.
The blast has since been blamed on an exploding gas cylinder, with pictures from the scene showing a cordoned off butcher's stall which was heavily damaged by the incident.
Officers have confirmed they are still investigating what caused the incident – although initial reports have claimed welding work was being carried out near the site of the explosion.
Lorca is a popular tourist destination, with more than 100,000 people make the trip to the city each year.