An explosion tore through several floors of an apartment building in Bucharest on Friday, killing at least three people and injuring 13 others, according to Romanian rescue officials, who suspect a gas leak as the cause.
The blast destroyed two floors of the eight-storey block, leaving the structure at risk of collapse. Firefighters evacuated all residents, as well as pupils and teachers from a nearby high school in the southwest of the Romanian capital.
Emergency teams continued to search for survivors, including one person found trapped under debris on the sixth floor.
“The building is at risk of collapse, which is why it is being completely evacuated,” said Raed Arafat, head of the national rescue services. He added that the area had been sealed off due to safety concerns.
Eyewitnesses described the moment as terrifying, with some mistaking the explosion for a bombing or earthquake.
Authorities said two of the injured are in critical condition. The blast also shattered windows at the nearby school, where several pupils sustained minor injuries and were treated on-site before being released to their parents.
