Gas Leak Suspected Explosion in Sicily... At Least 7 Dead

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Yuri] On the afternoon of the 11th (local time), an explosion suspected to be caused by a gas leak occurred in a residential area on the southern Italian island of Sicily, causing buildings to collapse and resulting in at least 7 deaths and 2 missing persons, according to local media reports.

The accident occurred in Lavenusa, a city with a population of 11,000 in the southwestern part of Sicily. With a loud explosion, two four-story multi-family residential buildings completely collapsed, and several nearby buildings were also damaged.

A resident who witnessed the accident said, "I heard an explosion sound like a bomb dropping or a plane crashing into a building, and I hurriedly evacuated outside with my family," adding, "When I came out onto the street, there were flames and building debris everywhere."

As of the morning of the 13th, it has been confirmed that 7 people died in the accident. Three bodies were recovered the previous day, and four more were found during overnight search operations. Disaster authorities believe that at least two residents are still trapped in the debris at the accident site and are continuing rescue efforts. According to survivor testimonies stating "there was a gas smell before the explosion," authorities are currently focusing on the possibility of a gas leak explosion and are investigating the exact cause of the accident.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.