Zalău explosion

47°11′N 23°3′E

2007 Zalău explosion

Zalău Location of Zalău within Romania
Date	September 14, 2007 (2007-09-14)
Time	7:30 EEST (4:30 UTC)
Location	Zalău, Sălaj County, Romania
Deaths	2
Non-fatal injuries	15

The Zalău explosion occurred on September 14, 2007 in a block of flats in Zalău, Romania as the result of a gas leak. Two people died and fifteen were injured in the explosion.[1] The structure was severely affected and the block of flats E24 was demolished in October 2007.[2] A total of 19 families were affected by the deflagration. They had been petitioning local natural gas distributor E.ON Gaz for two years before the explosion as a strong smell of gas could be sensed both inside and outside the block of flats.[3] The gas network system had been eight years overdue before the explosion.[4]

On September 19, 2007, hundreds of people participated in the funeral of those who died in the explosion.[5] Because E.ON Gaz did not provide support to the affected families, they protested in front of the headquarters of the company in Târgu Mureș on September 14, 2009.[6][7] In December 2010, six persons were sentenced to prison in connection with the explosion,[8] but in December 2011 their sentences were suspended. Compensations owed to individuals ranged from 67,000 to 222,000 lei.[9] In March 2012, the former owners started to rebuild the block of flats.[10]