On Wednesday morning, September 10, powerful explosions were heard in the southern outskirts of Vilnius following the ignition of several railway tank cars containing liquefied gas.
This was reported by LRT.
The fire broke out at the Baltosės Vokes gas filling station, where, according to preliminary information, 8 tank cars caught fire.
«According to initial reports, the fire was caused by a violation of safety protocols, and the police have implemented the «Shield» plan,» said Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovich to reporters on Wednesday.
One person was injured in the incident, and witnesses claim that black smoke was visible from several kilometers away. Local residents also reported hearing explosions.
According to media sources, the fire occurred on the premises of the UAB Jozita gas station, and the burning tank cars belong to Orlen Lietuva. Numerous firefighters are currently on-site. The fire is still ongoing. The Vilnius city administration warns of potential air pollution due to the fire. Donatas Guryavicius, an advisor to the Director of the Fire Safety and Rescue Department (PAGD), confirmed in the afternoon that the liquefied gas filling station was burning, where cargo operations were taking place: gas was being delivered and dispensed into stationary containers. He stated that the explosion sounds heard on-site are typical of burning liquefied gas. Firefighting efforts are not being conducted at this time; cooling of the tanks is ongoing to prevent all of them from igniting at once after the fire spread from the tank cars. The total capacity of all tanks is 2000 cubic meters. The tanks involved in the fire continue to burn, and the gas within them has been exhausted.
«The heat is immense; firefighters are using water to combat the flames. For now, they cannot approach closely due to the ongoing explosions from the tank cars,» he explained.
The police have cordoned off access to the incident area, but there are no residential buildings nearby. An evacuation has been announced within a 1-kilometer radius.
