A powerful gas blast ruined a multistoried building in Drohobych town of the Lviv Oblast at 21.00 on Tuesday.
According to Lviv Oblast Emergency Ministry Directorate spokesman Vitaliy Turovtsev, the blast occurred in a flat at the sixth floor of an eight-floor building. The blast wave completely ruined flats on the fifth and sixth floors, and partly destroyed ground floors. All windows including that in a near-by multistoried building were smashed up.
Seven people (two men, three women, and two children) were rescued from the scene of the tragedy. A 33-year old woman died on the way to hospital.
According to the information of the Drohobych Central Hospital, where the blast victims are treated, they have very serious injures and burns. A 12-year old girl got numerous injures and is in a grave condition. A seventh-months girl in a critical condition was taken to a special children hospital in Lviv. She has got thermal burns of 40% of her body and a shock.
Doctors do not rule out that the number of victims may grow, as there may be people under the debris.
According to preliminary conclusions of the Emergency Ministry, it was a domestic gas blast.
The majority of building residents were evacuated to a local hotel. “Residents of 32 flats were evacuated. A special commission will examine the building and make decision about granting new apartments to the suffered families”, V.Turovtsev said.
