The mayor of Blankenburg Heiko Breithaupt told reporters at a press conference that 11 people had been injured, despite earlier police estimates putting the figure at around 25. One of those was seriously hurt, while nine had escaped with light injuries and another had sustained more serious injuries, Breithaupt said. Photo: DPAGötze said the explosion was probably caused by gas canisters found at the scene. Yet he added that it was unclear why the gas canisters were there, given that the building was supplied by a district heating system. The explosion struck shortly before 9am at a five-storey building with 60 apartments, sending splinters flying up to 60 metres away.

Source: The Local December 13, 2019 10:14 UTC