At least three people were killed and 13 others injured when an explosion struck an apartment building in Bucharest on Wednesday, authorities reported. Romanian rescue services indicated that a gas leak is the most likely cause of the blast.

The explosion severely damaged two floors of the eight-story building, raising concerns that the structure could collapse. As a precaution, residents were evacuated, along with students and teachers from a nearby high school located in the southwest of the capital. Rescue teams continued searching the site for additional victims, with one person discovered trapped under rubble on the sixth floor, according to AFP.

An explosion occurred in a residential building in Bucharest, destroying several apartments on the 5th and 6th floors.

Authorities in the Romanian capital confirmed that two people were killed, while another 12 were hospitalized, according to preliminary reports. pic.twitter.com/rxPsE1wIaM

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Raed Arafat, head of Romania’s emergency services, confirmed that the building is at risk of collapse and emphasized the need for full evacuation. Authorities have cordoned off the surrounding area due to safety concerns. Witnesses described chaotic scenes, with some saying they feared a bombing or even an earthquake. Two of the injured were reported to be in serious condition.

The explosion also damaged windows at the nearby school, which was evacuated immediately. Some students sustained minor injuries and were treated on-site before being collected by their parents, the Bucharest school inspectorate said, without specifying numbers.

According to Agerpres, the blast affected apartments between the first and fifth floors of the building located in Sector 5. Search and rescue teams from the Bucharest-Ilfov Emergency Situations Inspectorate (ISUBIF) were deployed, with 11 people reported to have inhaled smoke. Nine injured individuals were taken to various emergency departments in Bucharest, the SMURD emergency service confirmed.

Police and emergency teams helped evacuate those in the danger zone, while traffic was rerouted around the affected area. Observers also noted that structural damage extended to a nearby apartment block, with elements of the facade detaching, highlighting the ongoing risk in the neighborhood.

The full extent of the damage and the number of casualties remain under assessment as rescue operations continue.