Görlitz Building Collapse Sparks Gas Safety Review Across Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt

The Görlitz tragedy

Nearly two weeks after a residential building on James-von-Moltke-Straße in Görlitz collapsed, the exact cause remains unclear. Authorities and the city suspect that natural gas caused the explosion which led to the tragedy, resulting in three deaths. The building was an older structure, dating from the Gründerzeit period before 1919, and was used partly as a holiday rental.

How safe are gas lines?

Experts describe severe gas accidents as extremely rare. The German Technical and Scientific Association for Gas and Water (DVGW) compares the probability to "very rare natural events such as death by a lightning strike." The TÜV Association also stresses that incidents like the one in Görlitz are "the absolute exception." Mitnetz Gas, the largest gas network operator in Saxony, describes gas pipelines as "generally safe" and calls such an event "extremely rare."

One can overlook something.

René Hobusch, president of the Haus & Grund property owners' association in Saxony, noted that despite all maintenance and obligations, technical defects cannot be completely ruled out. He highlighted that the human factor is always a source of uncertainty, and that the risk of operating errors and overlooked defects is higher in holiday apartments with frequently changing occupants, as was the case in Görlitz.

The scale of gas usage

Gas remains a dominant heating source in the region. According to the 2022 census from the Federal Statistical Office, Saxony has 861,100 residential buildings, more than half of which—around 468,000—are heated with gas. In Saxony-Anhalt, data from the state statistical office shows that a few years ago, about every second apartment was primarily heated with gas, making it the most important energy source for heating.

More than half of all residential buildings in Saxony were built before 1949, with most dating from before 1919, similar to the collapsed building in Görlitz. However, experts see no general link between a building's age and safety. The DVGW emphasizes that older gas installations can be operated safely if they are professionally installed, regularly inspected, and maintained. Of the roughly 2.3 million apartments in Saxony, only 9,618—less than half a percent—are used as holiday or leisure homes.

Responsibility and maintenance

Responsibility for gas safety is clearly divided. Network operators like Mitnetz Gas are responsible for the pipeline network up to the house connection. Everything beyond that—internal pipes, boilers, floor heating—falls under the owner's responsibility. Hobusch advises landlords against delegating maintenance duties to tenants, warning that doing so means giving up control over whether the work is actually carried out.

I recommend keeping that in your own responsibility.

Owners are legally required to have their gas systems serviced annually by a specialist tradesperson. Chimney sweeps also regularly appear for emissions measurements and inspections. To ensure early detection of leaks, a odorant is added to natural gas. Anyone who smells gas is obligated to act immediately: open windows, do not operate electrical switches, and call the network operator's emergency number, which is usually printed directly on the gas meter.

Official response

Neither Saxony nor Saxony-Anhalt sees a need for additional regulatory action. The Ministry for Infrastructure and Digital Affairs in Saxony-Anhalt points to existing safety regulations, including an updated combustion ordinance in effect since August 2025 that governs requirements for boiler rooms, exhaust systems, and combustion air supply. The state interior ministry confirmed that no statistics are kept on gas leaks, gas explosions, or related fire service callouts. Network operators like Mitnetz Gas report inspecting hundreds of local networks and facilities annually.