WARSAW, Poland (AP) — A gas pipeline exploded in a village in western Poland today, setting fire to homes, killing three people and injuring 10, police said.
Andrzej Borowiak, a spokesman for Poznan police, said the blast occurred in the early afternoon in the village of Jankow Przygodzki. Joanna Pawlaczyk, spokeswoman for a hospital in nearby Ostrow Wielkopolski, said one adult and one child were in serious condition. It was unclear if anyone was still missing.
Firefighters' spokesman Pawel Fratczak confirmed one person killed, but said the count was not final. He said an existing pipeline was probably damaged while a new pipeline was being installed next to it. Some 12 houses were on fire, he said.
The pipeline in Jankow Przygodzki is part of a local pipeline that is being modernized. A special commission is to determine the cause of the explosion.
Local residents told TVN24 that people were running out of their houses crying after the blast. TVN24 footage showed yellow flames and black smoke billowing above rooftops, and some houses on fire.