Heavy explosion in Hamburg men's hostel

After an explosion in a dormitory for the needy in Hamburg with a life-threatening injury, the State Criminal Police Office took over the investigation. The cause was initially unclear, as the police announced on Friday. According to the fire department, the accident on Thursday evening happened on the first floor of the five-storey building. The 61-year-old occupant of the room where the explosion had apparently occurred suffered life-threatening injuries. He was taken to the hospital in an ambulance and was treated in a special clinic for his burn injuries.

The police initially did not have any further information about his current state of health. According to the information, five other residents of the accommodation also suffered superficial cuts from flying debris and were treated on an outpatient basis. According to a police spokesman, the building is an accommodation for male homeless people and refugees.

The force of the explosion must have been strong, as a fire department spokesman said. "Inside there are clear traces of a massive explosion," said the operations manager at night. There were mountains of rubble in the corridors. The facade was also deformed by the pressure wave and pushed outwards, it said. A number of windows were shattered. The explosion caused a fire. Firefighters managed to quickly extinguish the fire. Police and fire brigade were on site with a large contingent.

According to the police, the emergency services had taken around 90 people out of the house that was said to be in danger of collapsing and brought them to safety. They were initially accommodated in buses or in an emergency accommodation of the Mitte district office in St. Pauli.