Prosecutors have opened a criminal case in rem, conducting investigations into the offence of culpable destruction resulting in disaster, in connection with the explosion that occurred on Friday morning in a block of flats situated in the Rahova neighborhood, which left three people dead.

The case was initially opened by the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the 5th District Court, but has since been taken over by the Prosecutor’s Office attached to the Bucharest Court of Appeal.

The explosion took place on Friday morning in an eight-storey block on the Vicina Street, and as a result of the blast, the 5th and 6th floors of the building collapsed.

The force of the explosion was so strong that it shattered the windows of a nearby high school.

The first intervention crews arrived at the scene at 09:15, with a response time of seven minutes, followed by additional emergency forces, thus 300 Bucharest-Ilfov Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (ISUBIF) personnel, 125 gendarmes and 72 policemen were deployed to the site of the explosion.

Currently, three people are confirmed dead, 13 victims have been taken to hospital and two others refused medical transport.

The rescue teams on site secured the evacuation of residents from the affected building, as well as from neighbouring properties, including 700 pupils and 40 teaching staff from the „Dimitrie Bolintineanu” Theoretical High School. AGERPRES