Three dead, many others injured after powerful explosion at apartment building in Bucharest

A powerful explosion at a residential building rocked the Rahova neighborhood in southern Bucharest, District 5, on Friday morning, October 17, leaving 3 dead and at least 17 injured. The building is now at risk of total collapse, according to the authorities.

The explosion affected two floors of an eight-story building, with the upper corner apartments being the most damaged. It was followed by a fire, according to updates posted by the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. Pieces of the building broke off following the explosion and fell near the block.

According to the authorities, the most probable cause is gas, despite reports that gas company teams had previously shut off the gas to the building.

At the time this story was published, there were 17 victims, 12 directly linked to the explosion and three from the adjacent area, the authorities said. Two victims are in serious condition: a 17-year-old with polytrauma, intubated, and a woman with burns, admitted to Bagdasar–Arseni Hospital.

Present at the scene, interim Bucharest mayor Stelian Bujduveanu said that all those affected will have a place to stay in the coming period.

To manage the situation efficiently, multiple fire engines, 2 aerial ladder trucks, 2 extrication vehicles, 3 SMURD ambulances, 1 mobile intensive care unit, 1 mobile command post, and 1 CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear) vehicle were sent to the scene. To optimize the response mission, the Red Intervention Plan was activated, and responders mapped the affected building with specialized drones to detect people who might have been trapped.

Following the explosion, students and teachers from the nearby ‘Dimitrie Bolintineanu’ High School were evacuated, and emergency messages were sent. The representative of the Bucharest School Inspectorate said in a phone interview that ten students were slightly injured by the blast wave and received medical care at the scene.

“The operation is still underway to make sure no one is trapped under the debris between floors. The State Construction Inspectorate carried out an initial assessment. The building is at risk of collapse, which is why it has been completely evacuated; the surrounding area remains closed. People will not be allowed to enter the building, as it is considered very dangerous,” said the head of the emergency services, Raed Arafat, cited by Biziday.

The Bucharest Police Department announced that traffic in the area had been diverted, and officers are assisting emergency teams in evacuating people from the danger zone. Police are advising residents to avoid the affected area, not to touch any suspicious objects or debris, to keep access routes clear, and to assist vulnerable individuals.