House explosion in Regensburg: emergency services recover body from rubble

The cause of the fire or explosion is currently unknown. The emergency services were not yet able to enter the house, which was in danger of collapsing. By morning, however, the security measures taken by the Technical Relief Agency against a collapse had been completed, as the police announced. In the morning, measures were still being taken to prevent falling parts. It will probably be the afternoon before emergency services can get into the house.

Then the missing people should also be searched for. But it is no longer about a rescue operation, said a spokesman. The police have not yet provided any information about the identity of the missing people.

The explosion in the early hours of Wednesday morning destroyed a large part of the apartment building. Four people were taken to hospital, one of them with serious injuries. A police officer also suffered smoke inhalation. It is not yet clear whether it was an accident or whether the explosion was caused intentionally. Investigators believe a gas explosion is possible.

Some residents of the building complex were able to briefly go into their apartments on Wednesday to get what they needed for the night. The residential building where the explosion occurred is part of a four-story terraced building that has been completely closed. Most of the residents were “accommodating with friends, hotels or the like,” said a police spokesman in the afternoon. For the others, the city of Regensburg looked for accommodation offers on its homepage.

Residents reported a loud bang shortly before 4 a.m. “There was an explosion in a residential building and as a result there was a major fire,” said the police spokesman, describing the process. There was also talk of a fireball.

A major operation began for the rescue workers. Due to the risk of collapse, the fire department was unable to extinguish the fire from the inside and used turntable ladders. With a massive extinguishing attack, they prevented the flames from spreading to the entire roof structure and the residential units of the neighboring house by, among other things, opening the roof structure transition from the outside.