A Spanish National Police officer was killed and a bomb disposal expert seriously injured when a suspicious backpack exploded during police action in Oviedo (northern Spain) this morning. The explosion took place at around 9 am on Rafael Urrusti Street in the city’s Villafría neighbourhood, where officers had been sent to investigate an earlier shooting involving a 17-year-old girl. The blast turned the police response into a major emergency as one officer died at the scene and another was fighting for his life in hospital.
Spanish newspaper El Mundo reported that the officers found a suspicious backpack inside a building when they responded to the shooting incident. The bag was apparently half open and had a flashing light, which led police to believe it could be an explosive device. Because of its suspicious appearance, police called in the TEDAX unit (National Police’s specialist bomb disposal team) to examine the object and determine if there was a threat.
A sub-inspector of the National Police's Canine Unit approached the backpack to inspect it, but as he was doing so, the device exploded, killing him on the spot. A TEDAX bomb disposal expert who was with him was also caught in the blast and suffered serious injuries. The injured officer was taken immediately to the Central University Hospital of Asturias for emergency care.
The condition of the bomb disposal expert was said to be critical. El Mundo reported that the officer lost one leg in the explosion; police union Jupol said he remained in a critical state and was being closely monitored by medics. Police personnel, especially those serving in specialist units which are sent to dangerous situations involving explosives or other threats, have been grieving for him.
The police operation had started after reports of a shooting around 7 am today. A 17-year-old girl was reportedly shot in the incident, and the police were called to an emergency response. Jupol says officers received a call about a young woman who had been shot and her father trying to take her to hospital. When they arrived at the building, the suspicious backpack was found near the entrance area.
The explosive device was another threat to an operation that had already begun as an investigation into a shooting. The explosion followed and devastated the officers who were trying to secure the scene and investigate what happened. But exactly how the shooting and the presence of the explosive device happened is unclear: Authorities don’t know if they were connected or separate events.
After the explosion, Spanish National Police carried out a major security operation in the area. Rafael Urrusti Street and the surrounding locality were cordoned off to prevent public access and allow emergency workers and investigators to work. The police called it "a serious incident" and sent extra resources to deal with it. Oviedo mayor Alfredo Canteli was also travelling to the scene to get information about what happened.
Amplio despliegue policial en el barrio ovetense de Villafría tras una explosión cuya causa se desconoce. Según testigos presenciales, un paquete ha explotado en la calle Rafael Urrusti. La explosión tuvo lugar en torno a las 08:45 horas, pero según algunos vecinos, una hora antes se produjo un tiroteo en la misma zona. #TPANoticias
— TPA Noticias (@TPAnoticias) November 10, 2026
The police union Jupol was deeply saddened by the death of the National Police officer and expressed its condolences to his family, friends and colleagues as well as to the force itself. The union stood with the injured TEDAX officer and his family as he was still in hospital being treated. The death of the officer once again showed what risks policemen face (those who examine suspicious objects or respond to potentially explosive devices).
Investigators now have to piece together two incidents: the shooting that injured the teenager and the backpack explosion that killed one police officer and critically wounded another. Forensic teams will need to determine what kind of explosive was used, how it got inside the building and whether it was deliberately aimed at police or someone else. What was the motive for the shooting, and is there any link between them?
Investigators are still on the scene and should be able to gather evidence there and piece together what happened leading up to the deadly blast. No details about the explosive device, suspects or the condition of the injured teenager were given in the reports. Police personnel lost one of their own, while another officer is in critical condition.
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