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Fire in the Thuringian town of Bothenheiligen
Photo: Silvio Dietzel / dpa
A gas explosion and a major fire caused massive destruction in a small community in northern Thuringia on Monday.
Huge clouds of smoke hung over the center of Bothenheilingen, and flames erupted from several buildings.
According to the police, six people were slightly injured.
The extinguishing work continued in the evening – hours after the fire broke out.
Investigators estimated the property damage at several million euros.
According to initial findings, there was a technical defect on a machine in a carpentry shop.
A little later, a gas tank exploded.
In the first reports from the police, there was still talk of a fuel tank.
It is not yet clear to what extent the two events were related.
15 residents of the four-sided courtyard lost their homes in the fire.
According to the police, the farm burned down to the ground.
There was also a hall in the building that was used for celebrations.
"It's a disaster to see your own village burn down," said Mayor André Hettenhausen of the "Ostthüringer Zeitung".
According to the newspaper, the extinguishing work had to be stopped for a short time in the afternoon: the water supply through the public network had collapsed.
“The water supply could finally be restored with the help of a shuttle service of the fire brigade tankers, through private pools and ponds and with the help of farms and companies in the region.”
More than 200 emergency services from the fire and rescue services were deployed.
According to the information, disaster control forces, the police and the technical relief organization were also on site.
The explosion of the gas tank triggered a pressure wave that threw the emergency services back several meters.
Bothenheilingen is a district of the town of Nottertal-Heilinger Höhen in the Unstrut-Hainich district in Thuringia.
aar/dpa
