BUCHAREST (AP) — An explosion at a hardware store in northeastern Romania left at least 15 people injured Friday, four of them seriously, authorities reported.
A mobile intensive care unit was sent to the scene, in the town of Botosani, Suceava county, according to emergency authorities. Four of the injured people were in serious condition and two of them were intubated. Seven remained hospitalized, and eight were discharged from a city hospital.
Emergency helicopters were alerted, and two ambulances and two fire trucks were sent to the scene to put out the fire. A search and rescue team was already inside the store. So far, the causes of the explosion and the identities of the injured are unknown.
Dedeman, the retail company, said in a statement after the incident that at the time of the explosion, which occurred around 10:00 a.m., an “authorized external company” was working on its gas supply system in the store. of Botosani, and that the authorities are already investigating the cause of the explosion.
Two of the victims were taken to a hospital in the city of Iasi, about 110 kilometers (68 miles) to the south, while two of them were airlifted to Bucharest, the capital, for faster medical care, according to with the Ministry of Health. Some of the injured had burns on 10 to 15% of their upper bodies, the agency said.
A video, shared by emergency authorities, shows that a portion of the building’s façade had been damaged by the explosion, with air conditioning units scattered in the area in front of the store, amid the rubble.
“Our priority is to ensure that everyone affected by this incident receives the care and support they need,” Dedeman said in a Facebook post. The company thanked the emergency services teams for “their speed and professionalism.”
