A violent storm with extremely strong winds struck the popular mountain town of Sinaia, Prahova Valley, on July 9, causing significant damage, injuring at least 16 people, and disrupting transport and local infrastructure. Historical sites in the city have also been affected.
Authorities had issued a message via the RO-Alert system ahead of the storm, warning of gusts exceeding 80 km/h. However, wind speeds ultimately surpassed 100 km/h, uprooting trees, tearing off roofs, and bringing traffic and railway services to a halt, the City Hall said.
The roof of Sinaia Train Station was ripped off and hurled onto the DN1 national road, blocking the main artery connecting Bucharest to Brașov for a few hours. Sections of the CFR 300 railway line were also rendered impassable due to fallen trees.
Dozens of streets were flooded or blocked by debris, prompting swift intervention by local authorities and emergency crews. Three people trapped in the high-altitude area at Cota 2000 were rescued safely after taking shelter in a mountain refuge.
According to Sinaia City Hall, 11 people were initially confirmed injured, three of whom were taken to Azuga Orthopedic Hospital. Later reports from Sinaia Hospital raised the number of victims to 16, including two Romanians and 14 foreign nationals – 13 from Israel and one from Canada.
The victims, aged between 17 and 67, sustained various injuries such as cranial wounds, spinal trauma, and fractures. The hospital activated its emergency response protocol (Planul Alb), and 12 patients were transferred to the Ploiești County Emergency Hospital. All patients were reported to be stable and conscious at the time of transfer.
Prahova’s Emergency Inspectorate (ISU) deployed 48 firefighters and five officers, including support from Dâmbovița County, to respond to the crisis. Their operations throughout the day included 13 tree clearances from roads, 12 from vehicles, and 9 from rooftops. They also dealt with damaged electrical lines, broken gas pipes, and a fire caused by electrical equipment.
Notably, emergency crews responded to a fallen tree that struck the George Enescu Memorial House (Vila Luminiș), a protected heritage site.
The storm also affected the local hospital’s power supply, which continued to operate on generator power as Electrica teams worked to repair the damage. Road traffic in Sinaia’s central area has since resumed, but several streets remain closed due to fallen trees. Residents have been urged to avoid the affected areas while cleanup operations continue.
The Ministry of Culture and the National Heritage Institute have launched a coordinated effort to assess damage to historical sites in and around Sinaia. Initial findings indicate damage to the Sinaia Train Station, broken glass and dislodged fixtures at Peleș Castle’s Clock Tower, a bent flagpole at Pelișor Castle, and significant roof damage at the George Enescu Memorial House due to fallen trees.
A team of specialists will travel to Sinaia in the coming days to conduct detailed assessments of the affected monuments, including the Sinaia Monastery, and monitor any impact on restoration work currently underway, the ministry said.
Sinaia is one of the most popular mountain towns in Romania, located in Prahova County, about 120 km north of Bucharest.
irina.marica@romania-insider.com
(Photo source: Facebook/Primaria Sinaia)
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