The Romanian Prosecutor-General's Office has opened an investigation into two explosions on August 26 at a fueling station near Bucharest that killed two people and injured 56, mostly firefighters, as anti-corruption prosecutors began looking into reports that authorities were aware the station was functioning illegally.
The station, which sold liquified petroleum gas (LPG) for household appliances and some vehicles, had been operating without a license in Crevedia, a town about 20 kilometers northeast of Bucharest.
Among the injured, many of whom suffered severe burns, were 39 firefighters and four police officers, said the head of the emergency department, Raed Arafat. Nine of those injured are in serious condition.
Twelve burn patients have been transferred to Belgium, Italy, Germany, and Norway for treatment under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, Health Minister Alexandru Rafila told the media. Two of the burn victims transferred abroad are Nepalese citizens who were legally working in Romania, Rafila said.
The first explosion in the late afternoon on August 26 was reportedly caused by a fire ignited by a cigarette during the transfer of LPG from one tank into another via a rubber hose. A second, much more powerful explosion occurred later as rescue workers and firemen were battling the blaze.
More than 3,000 people were evacuated from the area.
The station had been officially closed after its environmental permit was canceled in October 2020, according to the National Agency for Environmental Protection (ANPM).
According to Romania's General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), the LPG fuel system was authorized for fire safety in 2011 but lost its authorization in July 2020 after an irregularity was noticed.
The station, which belongs to Ionut Doldurea, the son of the mayor of Caracal, a city some 170 kilometers southwest of Bucharest, had continued to operate illegally after being closed, despite several complaints by neighbors.
There was widespread public anger amid allegations of corruption and insufficient public oversight to ensure compliance with safety regulations.
Romania's National Anti-Corruption Directorate (DNA) has opened an investigation after it was revealed that seven separate state institutions, including the Crevedia town hall and the IGSU, had been notified by firemen about the station illegally continuing to operate, but no measures had been taken.
