Tragic Blast and Fire at Romanian Home-Improvement Store

An explosion and subsequent fire injured 13 people at a Dedeman home-improvement store in Botosani, Romania. Emergency services and authorities are investigating the cause, attributed to a gas network malfunction. Four critically injured individuals were transferred to hospitals. Over 100 people evacuated safely.

(Updates injured number, adds details) BUCHAREST, June 7 (Reuters) -

An explosion and a fire injured 13 people at a home-improvement chain store in northeastern Romania on Friday, emergency services said. The blast rang out then the flames spread at the Dedeman outlet on the outskirts of the town of Botosani, the government emergency response agency said.

"I was told there was a malfunction at the gas network inside the store," Botosani mayor Cosmin Andrei told Antena3 television. Authorities said they were still investigating the cause of the blast. Four of the injured were in critical condition and were flown to hospitals in the eastern city of Iasi and the capital Bucharest, the health ministry said.

More than 100 people managed to get out after the explosion, authorities said. Fire crews put out the blaze and did not find any other casualties in the building. Dozens of people were injured in August in consecutive explosions at a liquefied petroleum gas station in the Romanian town of Crevedia near Bucharest.

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