catastrophe
Several missing persons after a house exploded in Italy
Smoke and flames come from the rubble of a residential building. After an explosion, a residential building in Sicily collapsed – several people are missing. Photo: Ravanusa Fire Department / via Twitter / dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
In a city in Sicily, a house collapsed after a gas pipeline exploded. Several people are missing – including children and pregnant women.
After an explosion, a residential building in Sicily collapsed – several people are missing. The Italian news agency Ansa reported that children and a pregnant woman were among the twelve missing.
The house in Ravanusa collapsed on Saturday evening, as the fire department said. Many rescuers are on duty to put out the flames and to check whether there are victims. According to Ansa, a gas pipe had exploded. There was initially no official information on the number of missing persons.
The videos showed flames and widespread debris. “It seems Beirut,” said the head of the regional civil defense, Salvo Cocina, of the Adnkronos news agency with a view to the devastating explosion in the Lebanese capital. He spoke of shattered glass and debris that had been hurled dozens of meters from the site of the explosion. “We are ready to search the rubble as soon as the area is secured.” Ravanusa is located near Agrigento in the south of the Mediterranean island.