Although investigations are ongoing, the accumulation of gases is the most likely cause of the explosion on Calea Rahovei. In fact, people in the area had reported the strong smell since Thursday and called the gas distribution company. Colonel Cristian-Mihai Buhăianu, from ISU Mureș, comes with recommendations on what to do if we smell gas in the home.
The smell of the gas is similar to that of rotten eggs or sulfur. If we smell such a smell, there are a number of recommendations to follow:
✅ DO NOT light the light, matches or electrical appliances – a simple spark can cause an explosion.
✅ Immediately close the gas valve (the one on the stove and, if it is safe, the main one).
✅ Open windows and doors wide for quick ventilation.
✅ Leave the house without using the elevator and tell the neighbors to get out too.
✅ Immediately call the emergency dispatcher of the gas supplier (usually the number is written on the bill) or 112.
✅ The intervention team is waiting at a safe distance from the building.
How often should gas installations be checked?
🔹 The periodic technical check (VTP) of the gas installation must be done once every 2 years, according to the legislation in force (ANRE).
🔹 This check must only be carried out by an ANRE authorized company.
🔹 In addition, the full technical review (more extensive than the check) is carried out:
every 10 years, or after an interruption of more than 6 months in use, or after a change to the installation / replacement of appliances.
Preventive measures
Colonel Cristian-Mihai Buhăianu also comes with preventive measures.
,,Gas sensors are very useful and can save lives. A methane or LPG gas sensor detects leaks at an early stage and can automatically shut off the gas supply and sound the alarm”he says.
Additional preventive measures:
– Ensures good ventilation in the kitchen and gas rooms.
– Do not block ventilation grills or vents.
– Do not modify the gas installation without an authorized company.
– Regularly cleans the stove, boiler and exhaust pipes.
– Fit gas and carbon monoxide sensors — preferably with automatic solenoid valve.
People in the block affected by the explosion reported that they smelled gas. “They told us it was nothing serious”
The explosion on Calea Rahovei could have been prevented. People in the block say they smelled gas the day before and notified authorities.
“There was an unbearable smell on the stairs, coming from below, from the basement. I called Distrigaz. They came, shut off our gas, they said everything was ok. They also came from Electrica, they said it was carbon monoxide from some electrical wires. They told us it was nothing serious. But the smell didn’t go away all night. In the morning it smelled the same. And look, now it’s exploded”people say.
In fact, in a post on Facebook yesterday, one of the locations recounted how things went. According to the woman, the authorities passed her from one case to another, without taking any serious measures.
The people from the block called Distrigaz for the first time. An employee of the company came, turned off the gas installation, put a notice on the notice board and… left. Because the smell persisted and the gas sensors beeped continuously, the tenants called 112, from where they were redirected to ISU. The firemen who came checked the basement (which was full of smoke and smelled strongly of gas), then they called Distrigaz through the station. The tenant writes that the representative of the distribution company said, instead, that the problem was not with the gas.
Desperate, people also called ENEL. However, the company’s representatives also told them that the problems are not from the gas, but from some cables that were burned underground.
,,The stairwell still smells of gas. Sensors beep“, the woman concludes her post.
The Facebook post of a location in the block where the explosion took place
The explosion on Calea Rahovei thus proves to be an announced tragedy, just like there were others in Romania.
How to defend Distrigaz
A few hours after the tragedy, Distrigaz representatives sent a press release. They claim that the response team (consisting of only one employee, according to people in the block), sealed the block’s gas connection valve. Today, the company was called again, but employees discovered that the seal was broken.
“On October 16, around 07:08, the Distrigaz Sud Rețele Gas Emergency Call and Troubleshooting Center received a notification about the existence of the smell of gas in the building at the address mentioned above. The company’s intervention teams immediately went to the scene, where they found, with specialized devices, the presence of natural gas in the respective scale and took as a safety measure to stop the natural gas supply of that building, sealing the tap at 09:18, on the same day of October 16, in accordance with the legislation in force.
In the morning of October 17, 2025, at 08:44, the Gas Emergency Call and Troubleshooting Center of Distrigaz Sud Rețele was notified again, regarding the presence of a smell of natural gas in the same building. The company’s intervention teams arrived at the scene at the time of the explosion. At the same time, the firefighters also arrived on the scene, and the intervention agent of Distrigaz Sud Rețele found the broken seal on the valve that had been closed the previous day“, claim the company’s representatives.
ANRE checks Distrigaz Sud
After the testimonies appeared online, the National Energy Regulatory Authority (ANRE) announced an inspection at Distrigaz.
,,ANRE sends its condolences to the family and relatives of those who lost their lives in the explosion in Rahova District.
The President of ANRE George Niculescu ordered a control to be carried out at Distrigaz Sud Rețele in order to verify whether the method of action/intervention of the distribution operator complied with the legal provisions, as well as on the companies that ensured the verification of the equipment that consumes natural gas from the respective place of consumption. Control teams are on the ground at the moment”it is stated in a press release from the institution.
Three people died as a result of the explosion, and 13 others (including two teenagers) were injured.
