This Saturday evening, two (2) massive explosions occurred at a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) station, near the Romanian capital Bucharest, killing one person and injuring 46 people.
The situation is all the more tragic because among the injured, 26 were firefighters who rushed to the scene just after the first explosion. They had little anticipated the second explosion, even more violent, which projected an impressive cloud resembling a mushroom into the sky.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis was quick to react. Visibly moved, he shared on Facebook: “Faced with such a tragedy, a thorough investigation is necessary. We must determine whether negligence is the cause of this tragedy. I call on the authorities to immediately support the victims and ensure that such an event does not happen again.”
The chaos was palpable and the emergency services, despite the risk, did not hesitate to intervene. However, Raed Arafat, head of Romania's emergency department, shared his concerns with AFP: "The region remains under high tension...another reservoir could explode."
In addition to the death, eight (8) of the injured are in critical condition, with serious burns. Four (4) of them could be transferred to hospitals abroad, in search of specialized care.
After the explosion, authorities cleared a 700-meter area around the station.