A café situated near the Central Market of Chisinau started to burn in the afternoon of January 9. Press officer of the Civil Protection and Emergencies Service Diana Turcan has told IPN that the fire started after a gas cylinder exploded inside the cafe. As a result, 20 persons, among whom children, were rushed to the hospital with burns and carbon monoxide poisoning.

The call to the firefighters was made at 1:24pm. Three firefighting vehicles were on the spot immediately. “The fire broke out in a two-story building. Most probably, there was a café and a kitchen on the first floor,” stated Diana Turcanu.

Spokesman for the Chisinau Emergency Medicine Institute Petru Caravet has told IPN that the injured persons were taken to a number of medical institutions. “A 35-year-old woman was admitted to our Institute, in the intensive care section. She was in a critical state as she suffered burns of the respiratory system. According to the managing doctor, the other persons hurt were taken to the Burns Center, the Children’s Hospital No. 1 and the Mother and Child Institute,” he stated.

The circumstances of the fire are being examined. The authorities are to establish if the café worked legally.