Colonel Gheorghe Stramb, head of the "Somes" Satu Mare Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, said Monday morning that the explosion occurred at 2:48 a.m. on the ground floor of the building and was caused by a build-up of gas in an improvised heating device.
According to Stramb, the explosion, followed by a fire, destroyed not only seven apartments, but also the building’s resistance structure.
An intervention team of gas distributor E.ON Gaz Distributie rushed to the respective area and disrupted the natural gas supply to protect consumers.
Satu Mare mayor Iuliu Ilyes said the two people who were in the apartment where the blast occurred are homeless.
Two of the three injured were taken to hospital in Bucharest with a military aircraft belonging to the Ministry of Defense.
One of the three victims, a man aged 40, is in a serious condition.