Explosion in an underground passage in Germany: One dead and four seriously injured. Police suspect “human act”

The explosion took place in the town of Völklingen in Saarland during the night. Authorities are reporting one dead and four injured in an underground passage, according to German media.

The alert was given around 00:15 local time when several emergency calls reported a loud explosion. Arriving at the scene, the rescuers discovered five men in the underground passage: one of them was declared dead, while the other four were transported to the hospital in serious condition, reports the German publication Frankfurter Allgemeine.

Although the cause of the explosion remains unclear at this time, investigators believe the explosion was caused by “human action.”

Immediately after the incident, the police completely sealed off the underpass, installing protective panels to protect the investigation scene. Among the remains identified at the scene, an overturned bicycle was also observed, but the investigators gave assurances that, at this moment, there is no longer any danger to the population.

Police cordoned off the underpass. The images show how the intervention forces erected protective panels. There was a bicycle on foot in the underpass. According to the investigators, there was no danger to the population.

The priority of the authorities is now to establish the exact cause of the deflagration. Although a possible crime is being considered, a police spokesman stated that the possibility of an accident is not excluded either.

For now, the object that exploded has not been identified, which is why the police launched a public appeal to citizens, requesting the cooperation of anyone who can provide relevant information for the investigation.

Völklingen is a city with approximately 40,000 inhabitants, being the fourth largest in Saarland. The town is located on the banks of the Saar River, just a few kilometers west of Saarbrücken, the administrative center of the region.