Gas stove explosion in Oslo, injures TV2 journalist

Host of TV2's Breakfast Quiz, Patrick Strøm, witnessed his mother being severely burned after an explosion in Oslo today. Photo: Svein Wilhelmsen Gustav

Three persons were injured when a gas stove exploded in Rosenkrantz gate in downtown Oslo in the afternoon on Dec. 18

The explosion was linked to a bioethanol stove, which stood in a meeting room in the offices of a production company in Rosenkrantz Gate 22. Patrick Strøm, TV2’s host of “Breakfast Quiz”, was there to discuss a new concept.

People started to scream

We had just finished a meeting with 16-17 people, and my mother was there in the meeting room to discuss salaries with the bosses and a few employees. I was sitting outside the meeting room, and I hear a kind of “poof” and people started to scream,” said Patrick Strøm to Dagbladet.

Strøm said he did not completely understand what had happened when he saw a person running out of the meeting room on fire.

“I saw my mother running out from the room and her whole body was in flames, so a few other people and I threw ourselves on her to put out the flames.

A bioethanol oven was in the meeting room, which should have been a weak flame. The flame was sparked in the fuel tank and caused an explosion, which was pointed in the direction at Strøm’s mother, who was severely burned in the explosion.

“After we had put the flames out, I sat next to my mother to make sure she didn’t go into shock,” said Strøm.

Strøm told Dagbladet that everyone in the office worked very quickly, taking off some of their clothes and soaking them in water to cover the burns. One of the men who helped Strøm with his mother has burns on his arms and legs.

Dagbladet talked with Strøm at Ullevål Hospital as he waited for his mother, who was in surgery.

“We were in the office to talk with our new colleagues and looked forward to the weekend. This was a happy day for us until this happened,” said Strøm.

Source: Dagbladet