Four injured after explosion sets Bavarian apartment block ablaze

At least four people were injured, some seriously, when an explosion sparked a fire in an apartment building in the southern German city of Regensburg on Wednesday, police said.

The number of injured was expected to rise, a police spokesman said. The fire service also reported three people missing, although it was unclear whether they had been inside the building at the time of the explosion.

The cause of the explosion in the Bavarian city remains unclear. Police initially suspected a gas explosion after the fire service reported that gas was present in the building.

The blast blew out two walls, the police spokesman said. He added that there had been a fireball and that the building had then burned intensely. Images from the scene showed a large gap in the building's facade.

The fire service warned that the building and two neighbouring houses were at risk of collapse and could not be entered. The Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) was working to secure the structures.

Residents alerted police to a loud bang at around 4 am (0300 GMT). Shortly afterwards, the building was engulfed in flames. Firefighting operations were still under way on Wednesday morning.

The fire service said 27 residents from the three affected buildings had been temporarily accommodated at an inn, while authorities sought alternative accommodation for them.

Police said there was no danger to the wider public but advised people to avoid the area because of smoke.

Around 100 firefighters were deployed, along with numerous ambulances.