Five firefighters and a civilian have also sustained mild injuries.

The seriously injured firefighter has injuries to the pelvis and some fractures, and was transported to the Hospital de São Francisco Xavier, in Lisbon.

“The firefighters were called to a gas leak at number 7 [Rua José Maria Pereira] and when they were in the initial phase of reconnaissance, reaching the apartment where the explosion started, on the seventh floor, the explosion occurred, affecting the team that was inside the structure".

The authorities are checking all the people who were in the building, as some left alone and others were evacuated by the rescue forces.

Serious damage

“We are making the final assessment to see if there is no one else in the building”, said Hugo Santos, stating that the eight-story building suffered “serious damage”.

According to the commander, the victims were hit by shrapnel due to the explosion and one of the firefighters was “dropped by the elevator shaft from the sixth to the second floor”, presenting “injuries to the pelvis and several fractures”.

Hugo Santos said he did not know how many residents live in the damaged building. The authorities will identify the residents to see if they need relocation by the municipality or if they choose to stay with family members.

“The building has serious damage to the structure and an assessment will be carried out by the Amadora City Council, and then decisions will be taken”, which may involve preventing people from returning home or stabilising the building, he said.

Adjacent buildings were also evacuated “as a precaution” and will be assessed for damage caused by the debris of the explosion, namely on windows, blinds and doors, he added, noting that the entry of residents will be gradually validated by the Civil Protection.