"The explosion occurred around 09:30" - said Brigadier Aneta Gołębiowska, spokeswoman for the Silesian firefighters, on Polish Radio 24. "The causes of the incident will be investigated by the police and the prosecutor's office" - she added. Meanwhile, Tychy Rescue Services and some others already wrote on social media that it was the gas installation that blew up.
Director of Tychy's Provincial Emergency Service, Łukasz Pach, said that several people required urgent help, and a person with 80% of their body in burns had to be transported by an air ambulance to get immediate medical care.
The explosion that occurred in the ground floor apartment was so strong that it also damaged the structure of the upper floors. Part of the facade detached from the building and the windows fell out. By the evening hours, the rescue operation continues, with about fifty firefighters and six medical rescue teams still taking part in the operation. A special unit from Jastrzębie Zdrój is on site, along with dogs trained to search for people buried under the rubble.
More than twenty people were evacuated from the building. For now, it is not known whether and when they will be able to return to their homes - this will be decided by the Construction Supervision Ofiice. The acting mayor of Tychy, Maciej Gramatyka, announced that the city would provide help and a temporary shelter for all affected.
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Source: IAR