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Romanian authorities say a fire at a gas station sparked an explosion that killed at least one person and injured at least eight others, prompting an evacuation of the immediate area.
Bucharest, Romania — A fire at a gas station in Romania sparked an explosion that killed at least one person and injured at least eight others on Saturday, prompting an evacuation of the immediate area, authorities said.
A second explosion at the station injured at least 26 firefighters, emergency officials said.
The explosions occurred at a service station that supplies liquefied petroleum gas, a fuel used in household appliances and as an alternative to gasoline and diesel in some vehicles. They took place in the city of Crevedia, about 30 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of the Romanian capital, Bucharest.
Romanian Health Minister Alexandru Rafila confirmed to local media that one person had died. Several burn victims were taken to Bucharest hospitals for treatment, and at least one of them suffered serious injuries, he said.
The Romanian emergency rescue service SMURD reported in a press release that a second explosion occurred shortly after the first. The head of the Romanian directorate for emergency situations, Raed Arafat, said 26 firefighters were injured in the second blast.
Arafat also said that residents in the area had been evacuated within a 750-meter (2,460-foot) radius of the station, and that an LPG tank was still at risk of exploding.
A video on social media showed the fire spreading to an adjacent field and steadily devouring a low layer of dry crops. Several nearby houses and vehicles were damaged by the fire.
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