Camping cooker explosion in Lübeck apartment seriously injures one, five evacuated

A camping cooker exploded inside an apartment on Breite Straße in Lübeck's historic old town early Sunday afternoon, triggering an emergency response that sent one man to a Hamburg hospital with severe burn injuries.

What happened

According to the police control centre in Kiel, the resident was cooking with a portable gas camping stove when the device suddenly detonated. The force of the blast ripped a lightweight partition wall from its mounting, causing it to topple over. Despite the violence of the explosion, no open fire broke out, preventing what could have been a much larger blaze in the densely built neighbourhood. The victim, whose identity has not been released, was the sole occupant of the apartment at the time. He suffered serious burns and was stabilised on site before being airlifted to a specialist burns unit in Hamburg.

Evacuation and damage assessment

Five other residents were evacuated from the multi-storey building as a precaution. A structural engineer examined the affected apartment and the supporting structure of the house to ensure the blast had not weakened any load-bearing elements. After the inspection, all occupants were allowed back into their homes. A police spokesperson stated that the building had not sustained structural damage beyond the interior wall that collapsed, and no neighbouring properties were affected. Authorities said they could not yet estimate the financial cost of the repairs.

Cause unclear, investigation ongoing

The reason the camping cooker exploded remains a mystery. Police have not ruled out faulty equipment, a gas leak, or user error, but stressed that no conclusion has been reached. The investigation is being led by the Lübeck criminal police, with support from the Kiel control centre. They are examining the remains of the stove and interviewing the injured man once his condition permits. No criminal charges have been filed.