LPG cylinder blast destroys three homes in Vrancea, Romania

An explosion destroyed two adjoining houses and a nearby animal shelter on a neighbouring property in the village of Sihlea, in Romania's Vrancea county, early on Thursday, emergency services said. A 53-year-old man suffered burns across about 55% of his body and was taken to the emergency unit of the Sf. Pantelimon county hospital in Focșani, according to Adevărul and G4Media.

The blast happened around 05:50 local time, Adevărul reported, and the first emergency call came in shortly after. Firefighters, paramedics and an emergency medical team were sent to the scene; neighbours as far as two kilometres away said they heard the explosion, which some initially mistook for a noise from a nearby military base, G4Media reported.

Seven other homes nearby had windows and doors damaged or broken by the blast, fire officials said. Authorities said gas had built up inside the property from an LPG cylinder the owner used for both heating and cooking. Vrancea police said they had opened an investigation into possible negligent destruction of property and negligent injury to establish exactly how the explosion happened.

The Vrancea fire and rescue service urged residents using bottled gas to rely only on certified tanks with a valid technical inspection and proper fittings secured with metal clamps at both ends. It said anyone who smells a gas leak should shut the cylinder valve and any cooker rings, open windows and doors to air the room, avoid touching any electrical switch or appliance, and leave the area to call the emergency number 112 from a safe distance if the leak is large or cannot be stopped.