There is a violent explosion in the middle of Halle. Several people are injured. The police cordoned off the area extensively. How and what detonated on the market square is still completely unclear.
In the evening there was an explosion in the city center of Halle, leaving two seriously injured young people. It happened around 6 p.m. in the public toilets on the market square, three people were injured, according to a police spokesman. A 12-year-old and a 13-year-old were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. A 51-year-old woman was slightly injured.
According to initial findings, the explosion occurred in the toilet area of the Marktschlösschen. Special forces from Magdeburg are expected to clarify the cause, said police spokesman Michael Ripke. According to the MDR, the municipal utilities are on site. The back of the Marktschlösschen is badly damaged. There is also damage to the building, a structural engineer is checking it, said the police spokesman. Specialists from the Magdeburg police are also on their way to Halle to look for the cause of the explosion.
The "Bild" newspaper reported that bystanders had noticed the smell of gas. The police did not confirm this. "The cause is currently still completely unclear," said the spokesman. According to the police, the square was cordoned off within a radius of 100 meters. Residents around the site of the explosion were evacuated from their homes.
According to an MDR reporter, the police are on site with around 20 officers. Accommodation would be provided in the Ratshof. The Marktschlösschen, which is located next to the Marktkirche, is a patrician house from the late Renaissance. It houses the Stadtmarketing Halle with tourist information and a café.
