Gas explosion suspected in Regensburg apartment block, two people missing

What happened

An explosion tore through a multi-family building in southeast Regensburg around 4:00 on 28 October, after residents reported a loud bang. A fire followed, and the building was burning fiercely in the early morning. According to a fire brigade spokesman, the blast pushed two walls out of the building, and there was first a fireball. Police said the cause was still unclear, but the loud bang and the damage made clear it was an explosion. Photos show a gap in the facade across two floors, and rooms inside the building are visible from outside.

Casualties and missing people

At least four people were partly seriously injured and taken to hospitals, a police spokesman said, adding that the number was probably slightly higher. A police officer was treated for smoke inhalation. No deaths had been reported in the available coverage. Early fire brigade reports listed three people as missing, but later the police spoke of two people believed to still be inside. Fire operations commander Christoph Tresch said it was not known whether anyone had been in the affected flats or the surrounding units at the time of the blast, or whether anyone had died.

“We assume that four apartments are directly affected by the explosion.”

Cause and rescue effort

Police and the fire brigade have not confirmed the cause. Police had initially suspected a gas explosion, and the fire brigade said there is gas in the building. Arson investigators from Kriminalpolizei Regensburg are to establish what happened once they can enter the flats. The building and two neighbouring houses are considered at risk of collapse, and the Technisches Hilfswerk (THW) is shoring up the structure. Police said the operation would take a long time, because rescuers can search for victims only after the building has been made safe. Around 100 firefighters were deployed, along with numerous ambulances.

Residents displaced

A later report put the number of people staying in a nearby inn at just under 30 residents of the building and affected neighbouring houses. An earlier report gave a figure of 27 residents from three buildings. Two more apartment buildings adjoining the damaged building were evacuated as a precaution. The fire brigade said the fire had been extinguished and the situation was under control. Police said there was no danger to the public but advised people to avoid the area because of the smoke, which kept rising from the damaged section after the main firefighting had ended.