Explosion in a single-family house. Half the wall collapsed

According to the officer on duty at the Provincial Rescue Coordination Station, firefighters received a report of an explosion in a residential building in Ratajów in the Krakow poviat at 5:44 p.m.

– One person is injured – his hands are burned – he said. He is an approximately 90-year-old man.

– There was a gas explosion, probably a septic tank – says junior captain Hubert Ciepły, press spokesman for the Małopolska fire brigade.

As he explains, waste collected in septic tanks undergoes decomposition and fermentation processes, and also leads to the release of gases, including explosive gases such as methane, hydrogen sulphide and ammonia. – It's hard to say which of these gases was released, because when we measured with our meters, they showed nothing, but it was already several minutes after the explosion – he explains.

In addition to units of the State Fire Service and volunteer fire brigades from the area, a specialist search and rescue group from Krakow also worked on site. Firefighters, among others they stabilized the building wall. Half of it collapsed.

Eight fire brigades took part in the operation, with a total of about 30 firefighters. – The building was handed over to the police and secured. On Friday, construction supervision will verify the condition of this building, Ciepły said.