BUCHAREST (Reuters) – One person died and 46 were hospitalized after two explosions occurred at a liquefied petroleum gas station in Crevedia, a town near Bucharest, Romania, on Saturday.
The first explosion caused a fire that spread to two tanks and a nearby house, resulting in evacuations within a 700-meter radius. Furthermore, the incident led to the blocking of traffic on the national road, as reported by the government’s emergency response unit (IGSU).
Deputy Interior Minister Raed Arafat, who is responsible for the emergency response unit, informed reporters that a second explosion took place at the LPG station on Saturday evening, injuring 26 firefighters.
Out of the 46 injured individuals, eight suffered severe burns and required intubation, according to the government.
“We believe that four of the patients will likely be transferred to hospitals in Italy and Belgium tonight,” stated Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu after an emergency meeting with the state agencies involved in managing the crisis.
Although 25 fire engines were dispatched to the scene, the fire had not yet been extinguished. Arafat warned that additional explosions could occur due to a potential risk posed by a third tank at the site.
Reporting on the incident comes from Marek Strzelecki and Luiza Ilie, with editing by Christina Fincher and Daniel Wallis.
Credit: The Star : News Feed
