Explosion at Kropp Senior Home: One Dead, Several Injured, Cause Unknown

According to police, the pressure wave generated by the explosion caused windows and doors of the apartment building and of surrounding houses to partially blow out of their frames. Several people had suffered smoke inhalation injuries, said the fire department's operations commander. Four seniors had to be taken to hospital with smoke inhalation injuries.

Rescue via the Balconies

Firefighters rescued some residents from balconies using turntable ladders. According to police, approximately 20 people were rescued from the balconies, in some cases by means of a turntable ladder. No one remains in the building. All other residents were able to leave the building on their own or were rescued, while others were on vacation at the time, according to the emergency services.

The fire department was at the scene with 200 emergency personnel at peak strength, according to its own figures. Some 20 ambulances were also deployed. The fire has since been extinguished, according to the fire department. The scene has been cordoned off over a wide area.

Risk of Collapse and THW Operation

The building is at risk of collapse, which is why firefighters were initially unable to access all areas. The fire was extinguished by the fire department, but the apartment currently cannot be entered due to the risk of collapse. According to the operations commander, the burned apartment cannot be entered beforehand.

The Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) was called in to shore up the building. The THW is now to shore up parts of the building. Only after this securing is a full investigation of the burned apartment by police and fire protection experts possible.

Accommodation of Residents

The building is consequently uninhabitable. Replacement housing is now being sought at short notice for the residents who have been left homeless. Those who cannot stay with relatives will be temporarily housed at the Hotel Wikinghof, which the mayor organized. At present, efforts are focused on accommodating the residents, said Stefan Liebscher of the housing cooperative. In the coming days, housing provided by the cooperative is to be made available.

According to the fire department, the building contains apartments designated for seniors. The explosion and its consequences thus affected a particularly vulnerable resident group. How the explosion occurred is not yet known, according to police. Investigations into the cause are ongoing.

Open Questions on the Cause

One possible lead in the investigations concerns the prior history of the apartment in question: According to the housing cooperative Gewoba Nord, the apartment in which the explosion occurred was to be forcibly vacated today. Whether there is a connection remained unclear, according to police.

Police stressed that the investigations into the cause of the explosion and the sequence of events were being pursued with high priority. In addition to the fire department and rescue services, THW forces were also deployed. Residents were asked to avoid the widely cordoned-off area around Birkenweg.

Investigations and Next Steps

The authorities announced that they would inform the public of the results of the criminalistics investigation in the burned apartment as soon as the building is secured and can be entered. Until then, information regarding the identity of the deceased and the specific cause of the explosion remains open.

With regard to the affected seniors, the focus according to police and the municipality is initially on medical and psychosocial care. The injured are being treated at hospitals in the surrounding area. Family members were informed of the support services available on site.

The municipality of Kropp and the housing cooperative Gewoba Nord also set up a contact point for relatives and residents, where those affected can direct questions about accommodation and next steps. Police set up a telephone hotline for tips.

Once the THW has successfully shored up the parts of the building, criminal police will examine the burned apartment together with a fire expert. Only then can reliable statements be made about the cause of the explosion and the possible sequence of events.