A 50-year-old man, with a criminal record and a history of mental illness, was arrested on Saturday morning after being recognised by staff in a Pharmacia in the north of the city, after his photo was distributed across social networks. They immediately notified the Civil Guard
The agents have now detained him in the Civil Guard barracks where he is understood to be making a statement.
The man, from Torrevieja, has been on the run since the explosion occurred early on Thursday morning.
It is understood that he was felt to be a threat by his neighbours after he said on a number of occasions that he would blow up the building. The residents had made several complaints to the police about the threats, the most recent one a day before the explosion.
The incident ocurred on Thursday morning in a first floor apartment in Torrevieja, causing a large shock wave across many parts of the town.
The explosion occurred at 217 de la calle Diego Ramírez with the Street and much of the surrounding area cordoned off for much of the weekend.
Firefighters worked long into the day among the rubble, although the two people inside the house were brought out unharmed, CICU sources confirm.
They reportedly found nine butane bottles, three camping gas bottles, several paint cans and gasoline cans in the property.
A spokesman for the bomberas reported butane bottles were strategically distributed around the home, which is located at the first floor at the intersection of Avenida Diego Ramírez and Calle Apollo.
“The explosion, was very powerful, has devastated the entire house, even the dividing wall of the adjacent house.”, according to the Provincial Consortium of Firemen of Alicante.
No injuries were reported in the blast which caused significant damage to 14 homes on the same floor, totally destroying at least two, along with other minor damage.
Many residents of the building expressed their indignation as they waited on the street, very concerned about the state of the houses which they were unable to re-enter until mid-afternoon. Six of the families were moved to local hotels because of a risk of collapse caused by the damage to their homes.
