Explosion and fire at Hannover flat block injure eight people

An explosion and fire ripped through a block of flats in the Ricklingen district of Hannover on Tuesday, injuring eight people, the city's fire service said.

Emergency calls came in just before 11:50am local time after neighbours reported a loud bang and smoke rising near Dannenbergstraße, the fire service said. Crews arrived to find part of the second floor engulfed in flames, with debris scattered across the garden and the street outside.

A 36-year-old man suffered serious injuries, while three other men, aged 31, 58 and 68, were moderately hurt; all four were taken to hospital. Four people with minor injuries were treated at the scene and did not need hospital care, the fire service said. A crisis counsellor was sent to support those affected, and an injured cat was taken to Hannover's veterinary university for treatment.

A neighbour, Can Lerch, told regional broadcaster NDR he had been asleep and was woken by a loud bang. He said he went through the building afterwards with other residents and gave a dressing gown to one of the injured people.

Up to 50 firefighters and paramedics with 22 vehicles tackled the blaze, which was under control by 5:05pm. Police believe the explosion may have been caused by a gas leak, though this has not been finally confirmed, and have opened an investigation into the cause and the cost of the damage.

The blast blew out windows and their frames, leaving the building structurally damaged and currently unfit to live in, a fire service spokesman said. A structural engineer was called to the scene on Tuesday to assess both the damaged building and the four neighbouring buildings that were also affected. The landlord has arranged alternative housing for the eight residents who had to leave. The explosion briefly disrupted Hannover's tram network, affecting lines 3, 7, 13 and 17.