Bucharest [Romania], August 27 : One person has died and 57 others suffered injuries after two explosions took place at a Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) station, located close to Bucharest, Al Jazeera reported citing officials.
As many as 39 firefighters were injured in a second explosion as they were helping douse the blaze in Crevedia commune, north of the capital, according to the government.
Moreover, according to hospital representatives and local media, nearly 10 of those wounded were in critical condition.
Following the fire, around 25 fire engines reached the spot to bring the fire under control, Romania’s emergency situations inspectorate said, Al Jazeera reported.
However, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said that the injured might be sent abroad for treatment.
Ciolacu attended a crisis cell meeting at the Ministry of Internal Affairs after the explosion.
“We think four of the patients will more than certainly be transferred tonight to hospitals in Italy and Belgium,” Ciolacu said after an emergency meeting with the state agencies.
According to the ministry, around 3000 people within a radius of 800 metres have been evacuated.
Raed Arafat, head of Romania’s emergency department said, "The area needs to be assessed. The area is still dangerous … There is a risk of another explosion at another tanker."
Romania President Klaus Iohannis described the incident as a “tragedy”. “I’m profoundly saddened that the explosions in Crevedia resulted in victims,” he wrote on his social media platform Facebook, reported Al Jazeera.
“An investigation must quickly be launched to see if rules were broken. I ask the authorities to take urgent measures for the injured so that these tragedies won’t happen again,” he added.
Furthermore, anger has flared in Romania over a lack of official oversight over safety measures.
In a similar incident, in 2015, 64 people lost their lives when a blaze ripped through a Bucharest nightclub after fireworks were let off.
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