Rock fall on DN7 kills man in Sibiu County, Romania

On Tuesday morning, a large rock or boulder detached from a hillside along DN7 in the Valea Oltului area, between the villages of Boița and Lazaret in Sibiu County. The falling mass struck a moving automobile driven by a 36‑year‑old woman; a male passenger – reported as 71 years old in some accounts and about 65 in others – was trapped inside. The driver escaped unharmed, while rescuers from ISU, SMURD, fire services and a rescue helicopter extracted the man, who died despite resuscitation attempts.

The incident blocked traffic on DN7 while emergency crews worked to remove the debris. Local authorities, including the National Company for Road Infrastructure (CNAIR) and the Regional Directorate of Roads and Bridges (DRDP) Brașov, said the sector had not been identified in prior safety audits as a rock‑fall risk. They noted previous works to clear unstable slopes but indicated that installing protective nets would require deforestation of the forested slope. An investigation is underway to determine the exact causes and any further safety measures.

The tragedy prompted statements from CNAIR and DRDP expressing condolences to the victim’s family and pledging cooperation with investigators. The event remains a localized road‑safety incident with no broader national impact.