Two people were seriously injured after a car that was being fueled with natural gas (NGV) at a gas station exploded in the early hours of Saturday (7), at Praça da Cruz Vermelha, in downtown Rio. The victims are the driver of the vehicle, aged 64, and a gas station attendant, aged 61. The driver was hit while he was near the trunk of the car. The Fire Department's Central Headquarters was called at 00:40 to number 10, and the victims were taken to the Souza Aguiar Municipal Hospital, where they remain hospitalized. The gas station attendant suffered injuries to his arms. The victims' identities and updated health status have not been released.
The explosion occurred when the car's gas cylinder ruptured during refueling. The causes of the rupture have not yet been clarified.
The impact was so strong that it broke the windows on the first floor of the José Alencar Gomes da Silva National Cancer Institute (INCA), located near the clinic. The incident frightened patients and caused great commotion among local residents. In videos circulating on social media, it is possible to see that the gas station was destroyed by the explosion. In addition, the vehicle was also completely damaged, with pieces of tires and parts of the car scattered across the parking lot. The Rio City Hall Operations and Resilience Center (COR) reported that Mem de Sá and Henrique Valadares avenues still have lanes closed at the time of the accident. The Rio de Janeiro Traffic Engineering Company (CET-Rio) and the Military Police were at the scene. The cause of the explosion has not yet been released, and authorities are still investigating the incident. An expert examination has already been carried out at the scene.
Aftermath...