Gas explosion on airport grounds in Hörsching: Seven injured, two seriously injured flown to Vienna by helicopter

Helicopter transports seriously injured to Vienna

A 50-year-old Serbian national witnessed the accident, brought the injured colleagues out of the danger zone and provided first aid. According to the responders' assessment, his rapid intervention prevented a worse outcome.

The rescue chain on Saturday afternoon ran smoothly according to the control centre. In addition to ambulances from the Linz-Land district, emergency doctors, the Hörsching fire department and the rescue helicopter were also deployed. The two seriously injured men were given initial treatment on site and then flown directly to the Vienna General Hospital, which has a special department for severe burn victims.

Investigations into the cause are ongoing

Why the gas cylinder suddenly exploded is so far unclear. Investigations into the cause of the explosion are ongoing. According to the current state of the investigation, the authorities assume an accident related to the operation of the mobile cooking setup in the cargo area of the semi-trailer. According to the information, there are no indications of criminally relevant third-party fault.

According to current findings, the incident occurred in a parking and staging area for trucks belonging to the airport site. Flight operations and passenger handling at Hörsching Airport — known, among other things, as the base of the Austrian Armed Forces' air transport wing — were not affected by the incident, according to the airport management.

Flight operations not affected

The airport administration expressed its sympathy to the injured and their families and announced that it would review its own safety regulations for external service providers and transport companies on the premises. It said it was in close contact with the investigating authorities in an initial statement.

The Labour Inspectorate and police announced that they would jointly inspect the accident site over the weekend. Among other things, it is to be examined whether the use of a gas cylinder for cooking inside an enclosed semi-trailer was permitted at all and what protective measures the transport companies involved provided to their drivers.

The responsible hospitals in Wels, Linz and Vienna continued to treat the injured on Sunday on an inpatient basis. Out of respect for personal rights, no further details were given regarding the exact health condition of the two men flown to Vienna.