An enormous explosion rocked a major natural gas hub in Austria on Tuesday, killing an employee, injuring at least 18 people and raising concerns about tightening supplies across Europe.

Firefighters and emergency workers rushed to the natural gas hub in Baumgarten an der March, about 25 miles east of Vienna, after the blast occurred just before 9 a.m., ordering an evacuation of the site. The fire was brought under control within hours, the state police in Lower Austria said.

Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the governor of Lower Austria, which includes Baumgarten, ordered the local authorities to investigate the cause of the explosion. Gas Connect Austria, which operates the facility, said the cause appeared to be technical.