Gas Leak in Erfurt Sparks Arson Probe After Basement Tampering
Erfurt (our platform)
Early Thursday morning (March 26, 2026), at around 8:00 AM, a dangerous gas leak occurred in an apartment building in Erfurt. Unknown individuals had first gained unauthorized access to the basement heating room. There, they detached a roughly three-meter-long copper pipe from the gas heating system and stole it. They also damaged five pipe clamps and shut off the heating system. As a result, gas began escaping uncontrollably.
When a 40-year-old resident went down to the basement after smelling gas in the hallway, he inhaled the leaking gas and suffered minor injuries. He then left the basement and alerted the fire department. Upon arrival, emergency responders found that the air-gas mixture had already reached a potentially explosive concentration, according to initial findings. Firefighters quickly shut off the building's gas supply, eliminating the hazard.
The stolen copper pipe is valued at approximately €50, while the estimated property damage amounts to around €25. Police have launched an investigation into attempted aggravated arson, attempted detonation of an explosive device, dangerous bodily harm, and theft. (DS)
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