Woman in life-threatening condition after gas cylinder explosion in Plovdiv district

An elderly woman is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after an explosion from a gas cylinder in the village of Tsaratsovo, near Plovdiv, Southern Bulgaria. The incident was reported shortly after 2:00 PM on March 18. Three fire fighting engines and an ambulance quickly arrived at the scene, but by the time the teams arrived, neighbours from a nearby house had managed to pull the woman out of the flames. The 68-year-old woman, who lived at the property with her son, was admitted to the burn clinic at the University Hospital "St. George" in Plovdiv in a life-threatening condition.

It is still unclear whether the explosion was caused by a technical malfunction or human error. The fire caused significant damage both inside and to the roof of the house, with almost the entire structure being destroyed.