How many people died in the guesthouse blaze in Romania? Massive fire leaves others missing

On December 26, a large fire broke out in a guesthouse in Romania that killed five people, including a toddler. According to the authorities, the guesthouse was in a town north of Bucharest, as per sources like The Associated Press.

It was shortly after noon before the emergency authorities confirmed the deaths of the fourth and fifth victims. On Tuesday morning, rescuers were looking for the last five missing persons among the building's burned remains. No clue as to what started the fire was present.

According to the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, 26 guests were lodged at the guesthouse in the Prahova County settlement of Tohani when the fire broke out early on Tuesday.

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In Romania, a guesthouse fire claimed five lives and left others missing

The guesthouse fire had already claimed lives (Image via Associated Press)

8 persons, according to the authorities, were able to escape the fire, and two of them then received burn treatment. Authorities declared that the fire had been put out at approximately 12:45 p.m., and they were still looking for the missing individuals.

The fire claimed the lives of five people, with the last two victims discovered later. If these two deaths had been among those reported missing, it wasn't immediately clear.

Even though the authorities put the fire out, the hunt for the missing individuals was still ongoing. The impacted region spanned roughly 1,000 square meters. Authorities stated that the structure did not seem to have a fire inspection permit, and there was no information on what started the fire.

Pictures of the fire released by emergency services depict a nearly collapsed building entirely consumed by flames while firemen attempt to extinguish it. However, the authorities still need to disclose the guesthouse's name. Moreover, the General Inspector for Emergency Situations has yet to release any new information.

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This is not the first time Romania had faced a fire incident

Authorities in Romania claimed that on Saturday, August 26, an explosion at a fueling station caused at least one fatality and numerous injuries, necessitating the evacuation of the surrounding region. According to the administration, eight of the injured required intubation due to severe burns.

At least 26 firefighters were hurt in a second explosion at the station, according to the emergency officials. In the Romanian town of Crevedia, a liquefied petroleum petrol station saw two back-to-back explosions that resulted in one fatality and 46 hospitalizations.

The liquefied petroleum gas fuelling station is where the explosions took place. They were held in the town of Crevedia, which is located about 30 KM northwest of Bucharest, the capital of Romania.

The government's emergency response unit (IGSU) reported that following the first explosion, the fire spread to two tanks and a neighboring house, forcing evacuations within a 700-meter radius and blocking traffic on the national route.

As per Business Standard, following an urgent conference with the state agencies tasked with managing the situation, Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu told reporters:

“We think four of the patients will more than certainly be transferred tonight to hospitals in Italy and Belgium”.

Raed Arafat, the deputy interior minister in charge of the emergency response team, also informed the reporters about the details of the incident as reported by the First Post and other sources.

The fire affected an adjacent field, which was slowly devouring a thin layer of dried crops, according to the viral social media video of the fire. The fire also caused damage to numerous houses and cars in the vicinity.