Agencies/Rio de Janeiro


A suspected gas leak set off a massive explosion in Rio de Janeiro yesterday, reducing several small homes and businesses to rubble in the northern part of the city.
Despite the extensive damage, nobody has been reported killed.
Authorities say at least seven people were injured and pulled from the buildings, though none are in serious condition. One of the injured is a child.
According to witnesses, the explosion took place at the DellArco pizzeria. Several other commercial establishments in the area were completely destroyed. Windows and roofs of houses and apartment blocks were broken, and the glass windows of a bank situated 100m from the restaurant were completely shattered.
“It is very painful because a lot of friends have lost everything, absolutely everything. Mercifully no one was killed, some people were taken to hospital but they are okay, we have to be grateful for that, at least nobody died,” a resident said.
“The atmosphere remained tense. I heard a bang and I thought it was thunder, I thought: A storm is coming. I was very scared. Then I went to the door and I heard about this tragedy that just happened, and I was terrified, as is everyone,” said another resident, Elianete Barbosa.
Local resident Marlene Sangy Aires told O Globo newspaper about the moment the blast happened. “The roof caved in and my 21-year-old son managed to shield my 18-year-old daughter with his body,” she said.
“We were trapped in the rubble and used the light of our mobile phones to signal to the rescue workers. They found us and pulled us out.”
Firefighters are still searching through the rubble for other possible victims from the early morning blast, which was so strong it was reportedly heard by people living nearly 6kms away.
Rio state’s civil defence department says it’s investigating the cause of the explosion. Early suspicions focus on possible gas leaks in two restaurants or a pharmacy where the blast hit.
Emergency workers said some 40 buildings had been damaged.