There was a panic in the subway on Tuesday morning, after a passenger train got stuck in the underground, and a choking smoke invaded one of the wagons. Metrorex said it was a technical failure. The intervention of the firemen was needed, who evacuated, one by one, the people directly on the rails, led them through the tunnel and then brought them to the surface. Hundreds of other passengers were evacuated from nearby stations – University Square and Victoriei Square. The red card was launched immediately, dozens of ambulances, SMURD crews and ambulances arrived in the area, and 25 passengers needed medical attention. Two arrived at the hospital.
Metrorex reported that at 8:42, the train leaving the Piața Romană metro station to Berceni had a technical failure with smoke emission, at the exit of the station. The train driver tried to restart the train on the route, which was not possible. Thus, the passengers were disembarked in the tunnel, after removing the voltage on both wires, under the direct supervision of the Metrorex and ISU intervention teams. ISU has decided to activate the red plan.
The passengers were disembarked safely, according to Metrorex. The subway trains run alternately between Piața Romană and Unirii 2 on a single wire. On the rest of the highway, traffic is normal.
172 people were evacuated from the subway line where a fire broke out in the Roman Square, said the head of DSU, Raed Arafat. He added that 25 of them were medically assisted. “The fire took place in the tunnel, which is why the firefighters had to intervene and evacuate the people after the power outage at the subway tracks. At this moment, all the people are evacuated, fortunately they are not victims,” Arafat said.
The probable cause of the subway fire was a flame in a box with conductors at the level of the rail, from which smoke was released in the Roman Square area, said the head of ISU Bucharest-Ilfov, Orlando Şchiopu. “The cause of the fire – it seems that it was a driver of a transport rail”, Orlando Şchiopu stated.
The prefect of the capital, Toni Greblă, declared that an investigation will be launched to determine the cause of the fire at the Piaţa Romană metro station. “An investigation will be carried out to determine the cause of the fire, and appropriate action will also be taken based on the findings of the investigation. There were enough firefighters to help direct people to the subway exits,” he said.