After an explosion, a fire broke out in Putgarten in the north of the island of Rügen on Friday morning. The fire has destroyed several houses. As initial investigations by the police revealed, a gas heater probably exploded in a currently uninhabited holiday home.
According to the information, the debris flew several meters and damaged several other houses in the holiday home complex on the outskirts and also two parked cars. "Fortunately, no one was injured," Mayor Iris Möbius (CDU) told the dpa news agency. The total damage was given by a police spokesman with at least one million euros. This is an initial estimate.
The fire after the explosion first engulfed a second thatched house, which also burned to its full extent in a few minutes, and then a neighboring apartment building. Its inhabitants were able to save themselves by fleeing quickly. The police spoke of five people who were able to flee in time.
About 70 firefighters on duty
During the investigation, it became known that only recently there was work on the gas pipeline and the gas meter of the cottage, where the explosion occurred. Now it will be checked whether someone caused the explosion negligently or whether there was a technical defect.
About 70 firefighters were reportedly deployed to extinguish the flames and prevent the fire from spreading to other thatched buildings. The municipality set up a meeting place for the affected residents at the culture barn.
The houses in Putgarten, a few meters from the northern tip of Rügen with Cape Arkona, have mostly reed-covered roofs, which are particularly at risk of fire.
wit/dpa