Explosion in Memmingen - Is it gas? Investigation into house explosion with one fatalities
Baggers and sweeping machines are on the move, neighbors are grabbing brooms, clearing debris to the side. After the violent explosion in a house in the Bavarian city of Memmingen, cleaning up and searching for the cause continues - experts from the Bavarian Criminal Police Office are expected on Monday. "The search continues tomorrow", said Bernd Stapfner, spokesperson for the Police Presidium Schwaben Sud/West. It cannot be ruled out that the explosion was caused by a gas leak.
On Friday afternoon, a 17-year-old was killed. Rescue workers could only recover his body from the heavily damaged neighboring house. The house itself is nothing but rubble. Tiles and shrapnel flew up to 400 meters. Miraculously, there were no further casualties. The damage costs will be in the millions, said Stapfner. He spoke of immense damages and a "very exceptional situation".
Gas lines were only recently checked
The affected house and neighboring houses have a gas connection. With this in mind, the suspicion arose that it could be a gas leak.
Memmingen's Mayor Jan Rothenbacher said on Saturday that a gas leak was not ruled out. However, the gas infrastructure is very new - and had only recently been inspected by the city utilities. "There's no pipe older than 17 years here", said the SPD politician to the German Press Agency. "We, as city utilities, are obligated to inspect every four years whether gas is leaking." The inspection up to the house connection had taken place just before about two weeks ago.
Rothenbacher had gone to the scene of the accident on Friday. "There's not a stone left on a stone. You can't imagine it", reported the mayor. "It's an incredible damage picture." He was deeply concerned for the affected residents. "A 17-year-old has died. That's something incredibly tragic. We are deeply saddened by the family", he said. It was also a great relief that no more people were seriously injured.
Two rescue workers had to be treated for circulatory problems during the operation, according to the Police, probably due to the heat, but they were doing well again. The Police, who were on duty with dozens of patrols on Friday evening, received support from nearby Baden-Württemberg.
"Madness bang"
A neighbor reported having heard a "madness bang". He ran out of the house, first thinking of a bomb or a plane crash - Memmingen Airport is only a few kilometers away. He even saw tiles flying. Damage to his roof was also reported.
Speculation in the neighborhood was also about a gas cylinder on a mobile home as the cause. However, the force of the explosion did not allow for a single gas cylinder to be the cause, it was reported on site as well.
Houses checked for stability
Rescue workers from the Technical Relief Organization (THW) have checked over 20 houses for their stability, allowing the residents to return.
Approximately 15 people were accommodated in municipal emergency shelters on Saturday night, others went to friends and relatives. It was still unclear how many could not return home on Sunday. Rothenbacher had not ruled out that houses would have to be completely demolished.
At sealing damaged roofs, THW and fire department were quick to respond, according to Stapfner. In addition, emergency roofing had been organized. However, the full extent of the damage and the number of affected houses are still not clear. THW tried to take pictures of the damages, especially on nearby roofs, using a drone, reported Stapfner.
Neighbors help with cleanup
Dozens of helpers from Technical Aid, fire department, the city of Memmingen, and the Red Cross were occupied with cleanup in the area around the accident site, which was cordoned off with a construction fence over the weekend. Neighbors joined in. "Everyone took out their brooms and moved tiles out of the way," said Stapfner. The city's Memmingen building yard was on the move with street sweepers. Parked cars were heavily damaged and had to be towed away.
The fact that no one was hit by debris may have been due to the fact that some were already on their way to vacation, said police spokesman Stapfner. "It could have resulted in much more."
The parents of the 17-year-old who was killed were not at home at the time of the explosion. They were taken care of by helpers.
Also, the 68-year-old resident of the accident house was not at home. A weapon was found in the debris, it was reported further. However, the man had a permit for weapon possession.
- The clean-up and cause investigation continue in Memmingen after the house explosion, with experts from the Bavarian Criminal Police Office expected on Monday.
- Rothenbacher, the SPD politician and Memmingen's Mayor, mentioned that while a gas leak is not officially ruled out, the city's gas infrastructure is relatively new and had recently undergone an inspection.
- The police, along with numerous other emergency services, responded to the situation in Memmingen, receiving support from neighboring Baden-Württemberg.
- Rescue workers from the Technical Relief Organization (THW) checked over 20 houses for stability to ensure the safety of residents, and temporarily housed approximately 15 individuals in emergency shelters.
- The fact that there were no further casualties may have been due to some residents being away on vacation at the time of the explosion, according to police spokesman Stapfner.
- Debris clearing efforts included involvement from neighbors, who joined with brooms to help move tiles out of the way, and the city of Memmingen's building yard deployed street sweepers for additional clean-up.
