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Gas blast in Austria kills at least 2, 3 missing

04 June 2010 04:12 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. At least two people were killed and three were missing after a gas explosion at a residential house on Thursday in the capital city of the Austrian State of Lower Austria Sankt Polten, about 60 kilometers west from Vienna, the Austrian Police said on Thursday evening, APA reports quoting Xinhua News Agency.

The incident reportedly occurred on Thursday morning and five people were in the house at the time of the explosion, including 4 local residents and 1 visitor. The reason why the house explored is still unclear.

Throughout the day some 500 firefighters were fighting against a subsequent fire. Approximately 30 to 50 of them were simultaneously put into the action with oxygen masks for 20 to 30 minutes use.

Due to possible existence of missing persons in the ruined house, heavy machinery was avoided to use for the rescue operation. According to the report, around 200 tonnes of rubbles were removed by the rescuers until the evening and mostly by hand.

"I suppose the work will be completed by tomorrow afternoon. Of course, we are taking every stone away, until the last missing is found", said Dietmar Fahrafellner, fire chief of the district Sankt Polten, at a press conference.