Prague gas pipe explosion severely injures 40

, April 29: Around 40 people were seriously

on Monday in a powerful

of a leaky gas pipe in a busy section of downtown Prague. A nearby building was also badly damaged in the explosion. The injured were undergoing treatment in a hospital.

Local police sources said the explosion took place around 9.56 am local time and preliminary probe suggested that the blast was caused by gas leaking from the pipe. Firefighting officials and police personnel searched the area following the incident.

The police cordoned off the area following the explosion and asked the passerby to stay away. The police, however, was yet to confirm whether any person was trapped inside the damaged building.

The area where the explosion occurred is a tourist destination and offers views of the Prague castle on the hill across the nearby Vltava River. The National Theatre, the Prague FAMU film school and the popular Café Slavia are located near the damaged building.

Other buildings near the explosion site also had their windows broken by the impact. The glass front of the New Scene building of the theatre was also shattered.

OneIndia News