Firefighters and first aid responders remove a person on a stretcher, from the site of an explosion at an apartment block, in Bucharest, Romania, October 17, 2025. Inquam Photos/Tudor Pana via REUTERS
A firefighter runs near the site of an explosion at an apartment block, in Bucharest, Romania, October 17, 2025. Inquam Photos/Tudor Pana via REUTERS
A police officer stands next to an ambulance, near the site of an explosion at an apartment block, in Bucharest, Romania, October 17, 2025. Inquam Photos/Tudor Pana via REUTERS
A boy holds a Spider-Man plush toy near the site of an explosion at an apartment block in Bucharest, Romania, October 17, 2025. Inquam Photos/Tudor Pana via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. ROMANIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN ROMANIA
Firefighters operate at the site of an explosion at an apartment block, in Bucharest, Romania, October 17, 2025. Inquam Photos/Tudor Pana via REUTERS
Firefighters stand near the site of an explosion at an apartment block, in Bucharest, Romania, October 17, 2025. Inquam Photos/Tudor Pana via REUTERS

(Reuters) -An explosion at an eight-storey apartment block in Romania's capital Bucharest collapsed floors, killing three people and injuring 14 on Friday, local media reported.

The blast broke windows at a nearby high school, news website Hotnews.ro reported.

The explosion completely collapsed two floors in the building and affected other apartments below, local media said.

The cause of the blast was not immediately known. News website Biziday reported that the gas supply had been stopped on Thursday after residents reported the smell of gas.

Firefighters ordered evacuations for all 108 apartments in the block over fears it could collapse, media said. Teams were searching the blast site for others trapped, Hotnews.ro reported.

(Reporting by Jason Hovet;Editing by Elaine Hardcastle and Hugh Lawson)