Investigation after explosion at pyrotechnics company in Lower Austria – one employee seriously injured

Major deployment with more than 100 emergency personnel

More than 100 members of 13 fire brigades were dispatched to the factory hall, with 28 vehicles called up. The emergency services secured the area, dealt with possible further hazards, and supported the rescue operations.

Investigations into the cause of the explosion were launched immediately. The Lower Austria police are conducting an investigation, including to clarify how the incident could have occurred in the production or storage facility for pyrotechnic products.

Lower Austria police investigating the cause

The Lower Austria State Police Directorate confirmed the deployment and the ongoing inquiries to the APA. The responsible officer Johann Baumschlager was named in press releases and on the regional studio as a contact person.

The Winzendorf-Muthmannsdorf site is located in the district of Wiener Neustadt and is not unknown beyond Austria's pyrotechnics industry. According to available reports, the company Astotec Pyrotechnic Solutions specializes in pyrotechnic solutions; the emergency services did not publicly release details about the production.

After the explosion, the factory premises were cordoned off over a wide area. According to the police, residents were not brought to safety; at no point was there any danger to the surrounding population.

Impact on the site

The investigators secured evidence at the explosion site and began conducting interviews. Further information, in particular on the cause of the accident and the production step in which the detonation occurred, is expected to follow in the coming days.

The responsible authorities announced that operations would only be fully resumed once they had been cleared by the police and the relevant authorities. It was initially unclear whether any other people had been injured; as of Thursday evening, the police assumed there was one injured person.