© Steil-TV.de
A true Christmas nightmare was reported in Hockweiler, a town just 20 kilometres from the Germano-Luxembourgish border. Shortly after 9 pm on Thursday, a violent explosion went off, leaving five people injured.
Christmas evening turned into a nightmare for a family in Hockweiler, a small community in the district of Trier-Saarburg in Rhineland-Palatinate, just twenty kilometres from Wasserbillig.
It was just after 9 pm when a huge explosion rocked the small town, leaving a house completely destroyed, with debris flying metres into the air. Five people were injured, one of them seriously.
More than 120 fire-fighters, first-aiders, THW (technical aid) specialists and police were dispatched to the scene.
© Steil-TV.de
Shortly after the explosion, the building was left in flames and burnt to the ground. The first explosion gave way to several other explosions, meaning that the fire could not be put out in time. In addition, the risk of collapse meant that it was impossible to enter the house, and the fire could only be fought from the outside.
Rain of rubble
Window frames, shutters, clothes, and even roof beams were scattered across the road when the emergency services arrived. At the same time, roof pieces were thrown across the street, damaging several vehicles. A local resident described the scene as ‘the explosion of a bomb’.
Five people were injured in the disaster, one of them severely, but the number of victims could increase as the search through the rubble continues.
The cause of the explosion remains unknown at this time, although the judicial police began their investigation the same evening. The mayor, Michael Holstein, was also present at the scene of the accident and spoke of a ‘tragic event for the whole community’.
