Three buildings collapsed and a further three were damaged in Sicily, according to reports
Three buildings collapsed and a further three were damaged in Sicily, according to reports
At least three people died and several others, including children, were missing after several buildings collapsed in the Sicilian town of Ravanusa following a gas explosion, Italian emergency services said early Sunday.
One of the buildings was on fire after a methane leak caused the blast at about 8:30 p.m. local time on Saturday.
The explosion, in the town of 11,000 near the Sicilian city of Agrigento, affected four buildings, according to Sicily's civil protection unit DRPC Sicilia.
However, Italian news agency ANSA later cited it as saying that six buildings were hit.
Rescue workers were able to contain the fire triggered by the explosion around 11:15 p.m., but emergency workers couldn't access the site due to "pockets of gas," DRPC Sicilia said.
About 250 rescuers, including civil protection volunteers, joined the operation, aided by sniffer dogs and overhead drones.
They started to search the rubble for missing residents, including a young couple expecting a baby and two children.
One body was pulled from the rubble, DRPC Sicilia said, adding that two women were rescued and a further eight people remained missing.
Elderly women saved
An elderly woman was rescued from the rubble of a building "probably near to those affected by the disaster," DRPC Sicilia said in an update early Sunday.
She suffered mild trauma and had been transferred to the hospital in the nearby city of Licata, the civil protection unit said. She suffered minor injuries, including some fractures, it added.
Another woman — believed to be the first one's sister — was pulled out soon afterward, said DRPC Sicilia head Salvo Cocina.
Out of those still missing, nine were in the same building at the time of the explosion, ANSA reported.
"The search for the other missing persons by urban search and rescue and canine units continues unabated," firefighters said in a tweet.
Comment: Another gas related fire/explosion to add to the list. The following are just those from the last few months:
- 56 dead following explosion in Siberian coal mine, gas leak believed to be to blame
- Major fire breaks out in building in central Paris (20th November)
- Explosion in Mexico destroys at least 30 buildings, leaves 1 dead, 15 injured - gas pipeline leak thought to be the cause (31st October)
- Massive fire breaks out on the roof of New York City hospital (10th September)
- Major factory fire in France forces residents to stay indoors amidst toxic smoke risk, small explosions reported (10th September)
- Explosions and large industrial fire in Kidderminster, England - nearby residents evacuated (8th September)
- Covid hospital bursts into flames after explosion in North Macedonia, at least 10 dead, dozens injured (8th September)
- Massive gas explosion blows off front of residential building in Russia, 2 killed, 13 in hospital (8th September)
- Massive fire engulfs high-rise residential building in Milan (29th August)
- Huge fire and explosion at industrial estate in UK's Leamington Spa (27th August)
- Huge explosion at Kazakh military base munitions store,12 dead, hundreds evacuated (27th August)
- Fire tears through Chinese skyscraper as debris falls onto streets below (27th August)
- Passenger bus explodes in central Russian city of Voronezh (12th August)
See also: SOTT Exclusive: The growing threat of underground fires and explosions