Massive dual explosions in Romania kills one, several others injured

At least one person was killed and 57 others were injured Saturday as a result of two massive explosions at a liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) station in Romania, according to Romanian media.

Among the injured 39 are firefighters, two police officers and two gendarmes, who had rushed to the scene after the first explosion shook the Romanian capital Bucharest on Saturday evening, BBC reported.

Soon after the first explosion, a second explosion sent a mushroom cloud billowing into the sky, rocking the forecourt in Crevedia.

According to authorities, at least eight of the injured had been severely burnt, out of whom four are expected to be sent to hospitals abroad.

"Overnight we transferred two firefighters and two civilians abroad (for treatment) and more will follow," Romania's emergency department head Raed Arafat said in a statement.

Additionally, people who resided within a 700-metre (almost half-a-mile) radius have been evacuated from the area.

Arafat also said: "The area is still dangerous... there is a risk of another explosion at another tanker."

It was not immediately clear what caused the blasts in Crevedia, a commune of villages, and prosecutors have opened an inquiry.

"We know that the station was no longer working, so it clearly didn't have a permit to function," Arafat said.

Meanwhile, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis addressed the situation on social media, terming the explosions a "tragedy". 

He added that he was "profoundly saddened" by the horrific incident.

"A new tragedy shook Romania this evening and I am deeply saddened that the explosions at Crevedia were killed. Sending my condolences to the bereaved families and wishing a speedy recovery to the injured. 

At the moment, the zero priority is to provide those affected with all the necessary support and facilitate their access to emergency treatment," he wrote on Facebook.

"As soon as the situation in the at-risk area is stabilised, an investigation must be swiftly launched to find out whether the law and regulations have been breached. 

"I ask the authorities to take immediate measures for the injured so that the tragedies of the past will not repeat," he concluded.