Explosion in Vrancea: two homes destroyed and one person seriously injured

An explosion that occurred on Thursday morning, October 15, in the village of Sihlea, Vrancea County, completely destroyed two adjoining homes and an animal shelter. A 53-year-old man was seriously injured, suffering burns over approximately 55% of his body. He was taken to hospital.

The blast occurred at around 6:00 a.m. and was not followed by a fire. The force of the explosion affected seven other nearby properties, where windows were broken or damaged and doors were affected.

Firefighters from Focșani, an SMURD emergency crew and medical personnel from the Vrancea County Ambulance Service responded at the scene. The area was secured to prevent further incidents.

Initial checks by the Vrancea County Emergency Situations Inspectorate indicate that the probable cause was the accumulation of combustible gases inside one of the homes. The owner used an outdoor LPG tank for heating and cooking.

Firefighters recommend using only approved equipment, ISCIR-inspected tanks and special LPG connections. In the event of a gas smell, the valve should be closed only if it is safe to do so, the room should be ventilated, and switches, electrical appliances and sources of ignition must not be used. If the leak is extensive, the area must be evacuated and 112 should be called from a safe distance.