accidents
Heavy explosion in toilet possibly from spray cans
Two girls and a woman were seriously injured in an explosion in a public toilet in the building. Residents around the site of the explosion were evacuated. photo
© Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/dpa
Two young girls and a 51-year-old woman are seriously injured in an explosion in a public toilet. How could this happen? The police have their first guesses.
An explosion on the market square in Halle (Saxony-Anhalt) may be due to ignited deodorant spray bottles. “There is a suspicion that these are related to the events,” said a police spokesman on Wednesday.
On Tuesday evening, two girls aged 12 and 13 and a 51-year-old woman were seriously injured in the explosion in the public toilet of a residential and commercial building in the city center. They were still in the hospital as of Wednesday, police said. So there was no danger to life.
The police had already ruled out a gas accident on Tuesday evening. Rather, it was a tragic accident, said the police spokesman. Despite the damage to the building, the house can still be used after it has been checked by a structural engineer. The amount of damage must now be determined by an expert.
The marketplace was cordoned off within a 100 meter radius shortly after the incident. Residents around the site of the explosion were evacuated. Most of the closures have since been lifted. The immediate damage location in the area of the toilet facility remains closed, however, the spokesman said. The house itself can be entered again.
The affected building, which is located next to the Marktkirche, is a late Renaissance patrician house. It also houses the city marketing Halle (Saale) and is called Marktschlösschen.