The nighttime explosion in an apartment building in the Riga neighborhood of Purvciems resulted in serious injuries for one person. Preliminary information suggests that the cause of the incident may have been glass processing work being carried out directly in the apartment.
An explosion occurred in one of the apartments of a nine-story building on Dzelzavas Street, after which a fire broke out. The apartment door is currently sealed by the State Police, and specialists are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the incident.
According to local residents, the owner of the apartment had set up a small workshop inside, where he was engaged in the production of decorative glass items. Open flames and gas equipment were used for the work.
Residents of the building report that the explosion occurred around midnight. One neighbor stated that the shockwave was felt even in apartments on the upper floor.
"There was a loud bang, and the sofa in the apartment above even shook a little. In the morning, a small gas cylinder with a hose was lying near the house," said local resident Miroslav in an interview for the show Degpunktā (TV3).
After receiving the call, firefighters arrived at the scene. The fire engulfed property in the apartment, but it was extinguished in about an hour. The State Fire and Rescue Service reported that one person was injured as a result of the incident.
The injured person was taken to the hospital in moderate condition. According to unofficial information, it is a man approximately 35 years old, who sustained burns to about 30% of his body surface. The State Burn Center confirmed the hospitalization of the patient, but details of his condition are not disclosed.
After the incident, not only rescuers and medics worked near the house. According to eyewitnesses, specialists also checked the substances found in the apartment and assessed the need for possible evacuation of residents.
As it turned out later, the substances found were used in the glass processing process and posed no danger to those nearby. Therefore, evacuation of the building's residents was not necessary.
Such cases are rare, but the incident in Purvciems demonstrates how dangerous working with open flames and gas equipment can be in a typical urban apartment.
As a result of the incident, one person was seriously injured, and the circumstances of the explosion are still being investigated by the responsible authorities.
