Several injured after family home collapses in west of Berlin
Firefighters rescued a family of four on Monday night after an explosion completely destroyed their house.
The family home, located in Berlin-Spandau, collapsed in on itself at around 9 pm, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble.
Miraculously, all four members of the family survived the incident. But, according to a police spokesperson, a 5-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries and his 7-year-old brother and parents (40 and 47) were also injured.
#Einsturz in #Staaken
Eine schwer verletzte Person mit Notarzt in Krankenhaus transportiert, 3 leicht verletzte Personen werden vom Rettungsdienst behandelt. Rettungshundestaffel zur Personensuche vor Ort.@Berliner_Fw sichert die Einsatzstelle. pic.twitter.com/ljOaXov6C8
— Berliner Feuerwehr (@Berliner_Fw) November 20, 2017
The fire department say that the collapse was caused by an explosion. They are currently carrying out investigations into what triggered the explosion.
A neighbour described hearing a loud bang, "like a bomb", B.Z.-Berlin reports. When he looked out of the window a moment later, the house had already collapsed.
The two-storey house was completely levelled, with only the roof left partially intact.
"Neighbouring houses were also damaged by flying debris," said a police spokesperson.
#Einsturz in Möthlower Str. #Staaken
3 Personen gerettet und werden vom Rettungsdienst und Notarzt behandelt. Suche läuft weiter. @Berliner_Fw mit 75 Kräften vor Ort. pic.twitter.com/KOKoknm5pu
— Berliner Feuerwehr (@Berliner_Fw) November 20, 2017
The fire department attended the scene with 75 emergency response personnel alongside rescue dogs which were used to detect people buried in the rubble.
After all four family members were rescued, police believe there to be no other people trapped in the ruins, but according to B.Z., the fire department are continuing their search as a precaution.
There is speculation in some media reports that a gas explosion may have caused the incident, but the police have so far not confirmed this.
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The family home, located in Berlin-Spandau, collapsed in on itself at around 9 pm, leaving nothing but a pile of rubble.
Miraculously, all four members of the family survived the incident. But, according to a police spokesperson, a 5-year-old boy suffered life-threatening injuries and his 7-year-old brother and parents (40 and 47) were also injured.
#Einsturz in #Staaken
— Berliner Feuerwehr (@Berliner_Fw) November 20, 2017
Eine schwer verletzte Person mit Notarzt in Krankenhaus transportiert, 3 leicht verletzte Personen werden vom Rettungsdienst behandelt. Rettungshundestaffel zur Personensuche vor Ort.@Berliner_Fw sichert die Einsatzstelle. pic.twitter.com/ljOaXov6C8
The fire department say that the collapse was caused by an explosion. They are currently carrying out investigations into what triggered the explosion.
A neighbour described hearing a loud bang, "like a bomb", B.Z.-Berlin reports. When he looked out of the window a moment later, the house had already collapsed.
The two-storey house was completely levelled, with only the roof left partially intact.
"Neighbouring houses were also damaged by flying debris," said a police spokesperson.
#Einsturz in Möthlower Str. #Staaken
— Berliner Feuerwehr (@Berliner_Fw) November 20, 2017
3 Personen gerettet und werden vom Rettungsdienst und Notarzt behandelt. Suche läuft weiter. @Berliner_Fw mit 75 Kräften vor Ort. pic.twitter.com/KOKoknm5pu
The fire department attended the scene with 75 emergency response personnel alongside rescue dogs which were used to detect people buried in the rubble.
After all four family members were rescued, police believe there to be no other people trapped in the ruins, but according to B.Z., the fire department are continuing their search as a precaution.
There is speculation in some media reports that a gas explosion may have caused the incident, but the police have so far not confirmed this.
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