Dozens hurt in blast at Prague film school

[Redfairen]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by uppityperson (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: CNN

An explosion ripped through a film and TV school building in the Czech capital of Prague while classes were in session Monday morning, injuring dozens of people and prompting evacuations of nearby buildings, city fire officials said.

At least two people were unaccounted for, and authorities were working on stabilizing the Film and TV School of Academy of Performing Arts building so rescuers could search for them in the rubble, fire department spokeswoman Pavlina Adamcova said.

The blast at the school in the center of the city was "most likely a gas explosion," Prague police spokesman Tomas Hulan said on state-run Czech TV.

Up to 55 people were injured, Adamcova said. Thirty-five were taken to various hospitals, and others with less serious injuries were treated at the site, Prague emergency services representative Jirina Ernestova said.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/29/world/europe/czech-republic-explosion/?hpt=hp_c2

[frazzled]

1. Oh no, we've spent time in that building

My husband used to take groups of film/video students to Prague, and collaborated with the film school there. I know the building well. Terrible.

[Berlin Expat]

2. I was just

watching the press conference with the Lord High Mayor of Prague, Bohuslav Svobodá, and he and all the authorities - including the General Director of the Federal Police, are all saying it was a gas explosion. The current theory is that there was a build up of gas in the basement, possibly coming from the sewer lines under the building, and sometime this morning, it found its ignition source and BOOM.

The blast moved the building 5 cms off its foundation, so that's pretty damn powerful. Windows blown out everywhere.

If you can understand Czech, here's a link to live news coverage: http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ct24/zive-vysilani/

[uppityperson]

3. Locking as a duplicate. Thanks for understanding. Here's the link...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014468726

Please repost there as an update, thanks you. And bummer.