“That's when we realized how close we were to dying.” The testimonies of the tenants of the block hit by the drone in Galati
Considered the worst security incident in Romania since the start of the war in Ukraine, the drone attack in Galati left dozens of residents on the streets in the middle of the night. “No one taught us how to react when a drone comes over us,” people complain.
A Geran-2 drone loaded with explosive material hit the roof of a ten-story apartment block in the city of Galati, on the night of Thursday to Friday, around 02:00. The Ministry of National Defense (MApN) confirmed that the drone belongs to Russia.
Following the incident, 30 people were evacuated urgently, and two people were injured and transported to the hospital. People say that they were woken up by the loud explosion and had to leave their homes with only their clothes on.
“There was a very loud noise and at that moment we realized that there was no more noise from the field. The impact lasted a fraction of a second. That's when we realized how close we were to death,” one of the tenants of the block that was hit told Digi24.
“We had very little time. When a drone came, we had to figure out what to do, and no one taught us how to react when a drone comes at us,” he continued.
Panic was felt strongly on all levels of the building, especially for those on the upper floors, where the shock wave was felt like a violent earthquake.
“Think I'm staying on the 2nd floor, but the neighbors above how it felt, because on the 2nd floor it seemed quite big. I stuck to the wall and stayed there. I didn't find out anything,” another witness told the quoted source.
People remained on the streets until morning, dressed only in their home clothes, and some had to leave the city to find a place to sleep.
“I've been away from home since last night. I stayed on the streets until 4 in the morning. A friend came, he took us to Brăila. I'm in shorts. Last night I just saw the broken windows outside. We didn't get to take anything, just what we have and money, that's all. We're back now, what rest can you have, what a meal, what…”, the man added.
In the morning, people returned to the scene, but the area was blocked by authorities for investigations.
“I went to work, I came to get my car, they didn't want to give it to me. They were investigating on the spot. They explained, I understood, but it's cold, night is coming and we have nowhere to stay. The cars in front of the window were cabbage, turned into dust. My car is not affected. Big pieces of BCA and bricks fell”, another tenant described the situation on the spot.
Following an emergency meeting, Galati City Hall announced on Friday that it is providing free temporary accommodation for all victims, while the Government approved emergency financial aid between 10,000 and 25,000 lei for each family for repairs.
The State Construction Inspectorate (ISC) assessed the building and confirmed that the structural strength was not affected, so tenants can return to their apartments as investigators complete their on-site investigations.
