Craiova school and nursery evacuated after digger bursts gas pipe
A digger doing roadworks ruptured a gas pipe near a Craiova high school on Tuesday, forcing the evacuation of nearly 300 pupils, teachers and preschoolers.
Update ·
Dolj Prefecture says the gas leak has been fixed and pupils can return to class, Libertatea reports.
A digger doing roadworks ruptured a gas pipe near the Petrache Trișcu sports high school in Craiova, southern Romania, on Tuesday morning, prompting the evacuation of about 200 pupils and 30 teachers, the Dolj County emergency service, ISU Dolj, said. A nearby nursery was also evacuated as a precaution, with close to 300 children and staff affected across both buildings, Știrile ProTV reported.
The leak happened that Tuesday morning on Tudor Vladimirescu street, when the digger struck the pipe during construction work, according to Libertatea. Workers heard a loud bang and noticed the gas pressure drop before raising the alarm, Știrile ProTV reported. The school's headteacher, Geri Mitroi, told the broadcaster staff evacuated pupils as soon as they heard the noise outside and called parents to collect them.
Firefighters sealed off the area with a foam-and-water tender and a vehicle specialised in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear risks, ISU Dolj said. Gas network operator Distrigaz Sud Rețele said it cut supply to the affected customer that morning, adding that the school was its only non-residential customer on that line. No injuries were reported.
Fire crews measured gas levels in the classrooms and ventilated the rooms as a precaution, a Craiova fire officer told Știrile ProTV. The nursery's director said meal preparation and heating there also depended on gas-fired boilers, so no activities could be held while the supply was cut.
Distrigaz said it expected to restore gas supply later that afternoon. Dolj Prefecture later said the leak had been fixed and that pupils could return to class, Libertatea reported. Știrile ProTV, however, said classes had been cancelled for the rest of the day and that repairs were expected to be finished by Wednesday, with the school left without heating in the meantime.
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What we know
- A digger ruptured a gas pipe near the Petrache Trișcu high school in Craiova on Tuesday morning, ISU Dolj said.
- About 200 pupils and 30 teachers were evacuated from the school; a nearby nursery evacuated roughly 65 more children, Știrile ProTV reported.
- No injuries were reported; firefighters sealed off the area and measured gas levels in the classrooms.
- Distrigaz Sud Rețele cut gas supply to the pipe; Dolj Prefecture later said the leak was fixed, Libertatea reported.
- Știrile ProTV said classes were cancelled for the rest of the day, with repairs expected to finish by Wednesday.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The closure of a school and nursery, affecting close to 300 children and staff in Craiova, Romania's sixth-largest city, shows how a single accidental strike on a gas pipe during roadworks can halt schooling and heating for hundreds of people within minutes. The conflicting accounts of when classes would resume also show how quickly official reassurance can be overtaken by events on the ground.
Updates
·
Dolj Prefecture says the gas leak has been fixed and pupils can return to class, Libertatea reports.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 4 reports from 4 independent outlets in 1 countries.
- Observator News: Conductă de gaze, fisurată în apropierea unui liceu din Craiova. 230 de elevi şi profesori, evacuaţi
- HotNews: Alertă la un liceu din Craiova. Elevi și profesori evacuați după ce muncitorii au fisurat o țeavă de gaze
- Libertatea: 200 de elevi și 30 de profesori, evacuați de urgență, după ce o conductă de gaz a fost spartă de un buldoexcavator, în Craiova
- Știrile ProTV: Aproape 300 de elevi și preșcolari au fost evacuați după ce o conductă de gaze s-a fisurat, la Craiova
- Observator News: Utilajul care a declanșat alerta de gaze de lângă un liceu din Craiova. Sute de elevi și profesori, evacuați
Source balance
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Questions and answers
- What caused the evacuation at the Craiova school?
- A digger doing roadworks struck and ruptured a gas pipe near the Petrache Trișcu high school, ISU Dolj said.
- Was anyone hurt?
- No injuries were reported.
- When did pupils return to class?
- Dolj Prefecture said the leak was fixed and pupils could return the same day, Libertatea reported, though Știrile ProTV said classes had been cancelled for the rest of the day.
This article was written with AI assistance from 5 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.