Nine people were evacuated by firefighters. Six of them were taken to hospital. An investigation has been opened.
A woman died this Wednesday, May 1, in the morning after the explosion, followed by a fire, of a residential building in Stiring-Wendel (Moselle), AFP learned from the Sarreguemines public prosecutor’s office and firefighters, confirming information from Republican Lorraine.
The explosion was followed by a fire, which started on the ground floor of a building, near the town center of this town of around 11,000 inhabitants, located in the east of the Moselle, near of Germany. “The explosion is related to the malfunction of a gas-powered auxiliary heater,” said the magistrate.
Six people taken to hospital
Nine other residents were evacuated by emergency services. Six of them were transported to nearby hospitals for checks, firefighters said. The victim was born in 1964, Sarreguemines public prosecutor Olivier Glady told AFP.
In total, around twenty engines and around thirty firefighters were mobilized. The fire was “quickly brought under control”, according to emergency services. Two firefighters were nearby and therefore “facilitated the evacuation” of the residents before the arrival of their colleagues.
According to The Lorraine Republican, the building had seven apartments. The investigation is entrusted to the Forbach police station.
