93-year-old arrested after gas explosion in Vienna-Floridsdorf – house completely destroyed

The force of the explosion was enormous. A spokesperson for the Professional Rescue Service told APA: „Die Explosion muss wie ein Raketeneinschlag gewesen sein". The daily newspaper "Kurier" also headlined: „Wie ein Raketeneinschlag: Gasexplosion zerstört Wohnhaus, zahlreiche Verletzte". According to the authorities, the house was completely destroyed, and debris was hurled into the surrounding area.

According to current investigations, there is suspicion that the 93-year-old resident of the house deliberately caused the explosion. Based on the existing suspicion of intentional endangerment of public safety, the man was arrested by order of the public prosecutor's office. He is being guarded in a hospital, as confirmed by the Vienna State Criminal Police Office.

Victims and Injuries

The 93-year-old himself was seriously injured in the incident. He was initially trapped beneath the rubble of the basement. The acoustic locating group of the disaster relief service was able to quickly locate and rescue him using a pole camera. Voice contact was then established with the man. According to police, he is in the intensive care unit.

In addition to the 93-year-old, a total of eight other people were injured. The Vienna Professional Rescue Service told "5 Minuten" that nine people in total were harmed. Two of them had to be hospitalized: a 45-year-old man and a 25-year-old pregnant woman, who is believed to have fallen on her stomach.

The pregnant woman was taken to a hospital for further treatment. Three other people were also taken to the hospital. The Vienna Professional Rescue Service spoke of a major operation in which the injured were handed over to the professional rescue service. A spokesperson for the Professional Rescue Service said: „Es grenzt an ein Wunder, dass nicht mehr passiert ist".

The Vienna Professional Fire Brigade deployed 22 vehicles and 90 emergency personnel. Fire investigators from the Vienna State Criminal Police Office began work immediately after the firefighting operations. Police were also on the scene in large numbers, securing evidence and questioning residents.

Major Rescue Operation

A rescue dog was deployed in the search for people buried under the rubble. In the debris cone, the dog found the seriously injured 93-year-old, who was then able to be rescued. The helpers had to literally "dig" the elderly man out of the rubble, as police reported.

Residents were evacuated after the detonation because it was initially unclear whether additional gas lines had been damaged. Emergency personnel then inspected neighboring houses and parked cars for damage. The Floridsdorf allotment garden settlement was cordoned off over a wide area for hours.

After all the injured had been rescued and the scene secured, the criminal police investigations began. Fire investigators secured evidence in the debris cone and questioned neighbors about the course of events. The Vienna State Criminal Police Office is conducting the investigations on suspicion of intentional endangerment of public safety.

Arrest by Order of the Public Prosecutor's Office

The public prosecutor's office ordered the arrest of the 93-year-old, although he himself lies seriously injured in the hospital. The guarding is carried out by police officers in the hospital. Police initially gave no information about possible motives of the man.

The residents of the surrounding allotment garden houses were visibly shocked. Many had clearly felt the blast wave of the explosion and had been torn from their sleep during the night. Some windows in the neighborhood were shattered, and garden walls were damaged.

The operation lasted into the early morning hours of Sunday. Only gradually were residents able to return to their homes. The Vienna Professional Fire Brigade warned the population not to enter damaged areas for the time being, as building parts at risk of collapse were still present.

Impact on the Neighborhood

The Vienna Professional Rescue Service spoke of coordinated cooperation between the fire brigade, police, rescue services, and disaster relief service. The Red Cross was also deployed, according to its own statements, to ensure the care of the injured.

The Vienna State Criminal Police Office continued the investigations on Sunday morning. Further details about the course of the explosion and the suspect's motive were initially not released. The authorities referred to ongoing investigations.

The explosion completely destroyed the single-family house. A reconstruction appears impossible according to the fire brigade's assessment. The property damage is likely to be considerable; exact figures have not yet been released. Neighboring vehicles were also damaged by the blast wave.