Woman, 55, dies of injuries after Neuchâtel explosion, Swiss media report

A 55-year-old woman who was seriously injured in Tuesday's explosion in a residential building in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, has since died of her injuries, Watson and 20 Minuten reported on Wednesday. She was one of four people hurt when the blast tore through a building on Rue des Fahys around midday, according to police.

The woman, who suffered the most serious injuries of the four, was flown to hospital by the Rega air rescue service after the explosion, 20 Minuten reported. Neuchâtel cantonal police told Keystone-ATS that an operation was under way and described the situation as "fairly serious"; officers had not given an official casualty figure by the time of the first reports.

The blast happened near number 73 on Rue des Fahys, Arcinfo reported. About ten residents of the building had to be rehoused elsewhere, 20 Minuten said. Fire crews and police were sent to the scene, the building was evacuated and the street was closed to traffic.

Police are looking into whether a gas leak caused the explosion, among other possible causes, 20 Minuten reported. A drone was flown over the area as part of the response, and the city of Neuchâtel confirmed a security operation was under way, asking residents to use diversions set up around the site.

Witnesses described feeling the force of the blast some distance away. One person living nearby told Arcinfo they felt a jolt "as if it had happened in the flat next door", and other witnesses said they too had felt the shockwave. A bystander waiting on a nearby railway platform told 20 Minuten they heard a loud, powerful explosion shortly after midday, then saw a large plume of smoke rise over the area.

The cause of the explosion has not been confirmed, and the woman's death has not yet been confirmed by police. Le Temps reported that the police operation was continuing and that the affected area remained sealed off, with officers yet to say when residents might be able to return.