Rahova Explosion Update: External Gas Leak from Damaged Pipe Eyed as Primary Cause

BUCHAREST – Investigators released preliminary findings Wednesday indicating that the devastating apartment block explosion in Bucharest’s Rahova neighborhood last week was likely caused by an external gas leak originating from a damaged underground pipe.

The blast, which occurred on the morning of Friday, October 17, resulted in the deaths of three people and injured 20 others.

According to a preliminary report from INSEMEX, the national institute for mine safety and explosion protection, the source of the leak was not inside the building itself. Experts believe a crack in an underground gas pipe—potentially damaged by a short circuit in an adjacent electrical cable—allowed gas to seep into the building’s basement through utility tunnels.

The gas then reportedly traveled up the building's ventilation shafts, accumulating in an apartment on the fifth floor where the ventilation was believed to be blocked. The explosion was likely triggered by a simple electrical arc, such as a resident turning on a light switch.

This new information comes as prosecutors continue their criminal investigation into "culpable destruction resulting in a disaster." Authorities have confirmed that no evidence of explosive materials was found at the site.

The explosion, which took place at approximately 9:07 AM, tore through the upper floors of the 8-story building on Vicina Street. The blast was so powerful it was registered by seismic stations and caused significant damage to the nearby "Dimitrie Bolintineanu" High School, forcing the evacuation of 700 students.

Three women, including one who was pregnant, were killed in the disaster. As of this week, several of the 15 hospitalized victims remain in stable condition.

The building has been deemed structurally unsound by the State Inspectorate for Construction, which has recommended its complete demolition due to irreversible damage.

In response to the tragedy, Romania's Ministry of Development has pledged to finance the reconstruction of the apartment block. In the interim, 78 displaced residents have been provided with hotel accommodation, and local authorities are offering financial aid and rent subsidies to those affected.

The investigation is also scrutinizing the actions of utility providers. Residents had reported a strong smell of gas the day before the explosion. The gas supplier, Distrigaz Sud Rețele, stated it had shut off the supply and sealed a valve on Thursday, October 16. However, crews reportedly discovered the seal had been broken on Friday morning. A separate company that allegedly intervened with the gas installation has since been reported by the national fiscal agency (ANAF) as being "legally inactive."