Tragedy near Hungary: 3 dead and over 500 homeless after gas explosion – photos and video
A massive explosion shook Romania’s capital, Bucharest, in the Rahova district on Friday morning: a blast on the fifth floor of an eight-storey residential building claimed three lives and injured fifteen others, including two children. The pressure wave was so strong that windows in nearby houses and a nearby school were shattered, while several floors of the block of flats were practically destroyed.
Fatal gas explosion in Bucharest
The disaster has left around five hundred residents homeless, and the building has been declared unsafe by the construction authority. “The affected structure will probably have to be demolished,” said Stelian Bujduveanu, acting mayor of Bucharest, according to the Hungarian News Agency (MTI). Those evacuated are being offered hotel rooms for the weekend, and from Monday, municipal flats will be made available to them.
Was a broken seal to blame?
According to the investigation, the explosion was likely caused by a gas leak. The Romanian gas supplier, Distrigaz Sud, reported that the supply to the building had been cut off a day earlier after residents detected a strong smell of gas, and a seal was placed on the main valve, Maszol.ro reported.
Raed Arafat, Secretary of State for Emergency Situations at the Ministry of the Interior, said that firefighters had also sealed the gas valve, and the supplier confirmed it had been left shut. “According to some reports, someone later broke the official seal and reopened the valve,” Arafat said at a press briefing on Friday, as cited by rfi.fr.
Distrigaz stated that they had received another report of gas smell on Friday morning, but by the time their experts arrived on site, the explosion had already occurred. The company said the seal they had placed the previous day was found later to be damaged.
Collapsed flats and injured pupils
The force of the blast was equivalent to an earthquake of magnitude 1.2. Two floors were almost completely destroyed, with walls torn down and flats collapsing. In a nearby secondary school, the windows of fifteen classrooms were shattered, leading to the evacuation of 700 pupils and 400 teachers. Several people sustained minor injuries from falling glass shards.
The injured are being treated in four emergency hospitals in Bucharest. According to Health Minister Alexandru Rogobete, some are in serious condition, suffering mainly from burns and limb injuries. For those in critical condition, arrangements are being made to transfer them to hospitals abroad.
Authorities promise support for victims
Romanian Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and called for accountability. He noted that, according to preliminary construction assessments, the building cannot be restored and will likely be demolished.
Authorities are still not allowing residents to re-enter the building to retrieve their documents or valuables. The city’s registry office will issue new identity documents for them as a priority.
The circumstances of the tragedy are being investigated by both the gas supplier and the public prosecutor’s office.
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Featured image: illustration, depositphotos.com