Two people have died in a powerful explosion in an apartment building in the German city of Regensburg. The bodies were found in the rubble on October 29, the day after the blast, the German news agency DPA reported. Police have not yet confirmed whether the dead are the two residents who were previously reported missing. “Whether it is the two missing people is not yet clear”, a police spokesman said.
The explosion occurred at around 3:50 a.m. on October 28 on “Von-Rainer“ Street. Its force destroyed a large part of a four-story apartment building. The facade was destroyed on two floors, debris reached the building opposite, and the ensuing fire also spread to the roof structure.
Two bodies found in the destroyed building
Rescue teams were only able to access the building after the Technical Disaster Assistance Service had reinforced the dangerous parts and limited the risk of collapse. The first body was found around noon while clearing the debris with an excavator. The second was found and removed from the building at around 3:15 p.m.
Police said the identities of the deceased would likely be established through an autopsy. The investigation into the causes of the explosion is ongoing. Among the versions being considered is a gas leak, but there is currently no confirmation whether it was an accident or a deliberate act. Police and specialists from the Bavarian Criminal Investigation Office are analyzing traces from the scene.
Four people hospitalized
Four people were taken to hospital in the explosion, one of whom was seriously injured. A police officer suffered smoke inhalation during the rescue operations.
The apartment complex remains closed and residents are temporarily unable to return to their homes. Some of them have spent the night with relatives or in hotels. The affected part of the building must be completely demolished, a police spokesman said, quoted by DPA.
Up to 150 firefighters, more than 70 emergency workers, nearly 100 representatives of the Technical Disaster Assistance Service and more than 60 police officers took part in the operation. Investigators are yet to determine the exact mechanism of the explosion and the extent of the material damage.
Sources: nordbayern.de, fraenkischertag.de, br.de