A short circuit is one of the versions of the cause of fire that destroyed 28 apartments on an attic-like apartment story at 10/2 Independentei St in Chisinau, head of the Botanica Rescuers and Firefighters Department Aleco Sandu told a news conference. Careless use of open fire is another version, IPN reports.

Twelve of the 28 apartments were inhabited. The fire destroyed them completely. The families were lodged at the Boarding School No. 2, situated at 191 Grenoble St, on a temporary basis.

Aleco Sandu also said that according to the design documents, the construction was to have the second fire resistance degree. This means that the walls resist fire during about 90 minutes. But it wasn’t so. The flames spread quickly at a speed of one to three meters per minute. Only the ceiling resisted and prevented the fire from going down.

According to Aleco Sandu, it was hard to extinguish the fire because a number of families from the third and fifth floors had gas cylinders in the apartments, even if the block is gasified. A part of the firefighters took the cylinders out so as to prevent an explosion.

The Civil Protection and Emergencies Service launched an investigation. Eyewitnesses are asked to provide details about the blaze on the hotline 022 725888.

The fire happened in the afternoon of May 1. Fifteen firefighting vehicles and 65 firefighters struggled to contain it. The damage is yet to be assessed. Nobody was hurt.

On May 5, the rescuers will initiate inspections to examine the attic-like apartments in Chisinau. It’s not yet known how long the inspections will last.