Rescuers search for 3 missing after German building collapse possibly caused by gas explosion
Police and firefighters stand near a collapsed house in the city center of Goerlitz, Germany, Monday, May 18, 2026. Credit: AP/Paul Glaser
GÖRLITZ, Germany — Rescue teams in eastern Germany searched Tuesday morning for three people who were missing after a building collapsed in the eastern city of Görlitz near the Polish border.
Police said a gas explosion may have been the cause for the collapse of the building, which took place Monday night.
Emergency responders proceeded with great caution at the scene in case of gas leaks, German news agency dpa reported.
After unsuccessful attempts to locate the missing under the rubble with the help of search dogs, rescuers began clearing debris with an excavator and by hand around 2 a.m. Tuesday.
Initial concerns that up to five people may have been buried under rubble turned out to be wrong, police said.
A man who feared his wife and cousin might be trapped under the rubble said Monday they had arrived that day for a vacation in the rented house. While shopping at nearby supermarket, he heard an explosion and returned to the house to find nothing but a large pile of rubble, dpa reported.
The collapsed building in the historic Wilhelminian style contained rental and vacation apartments, police said.
Emergency services from the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) use their bare hands to remove the mountain of rubble from the collapsed residential building in the city center of Goerlitz, Germany, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Credit: AP/Paul Glaser
Görlitz is Germany’s easternmost city with a population of 57,000. The historic, undamaged old town district is a popular location for international film productions.
Sarra Sounds Off, Season 3, Ep. 6: Top football teams in action and soccer playoffs roundup Gregg Sarra sounds off on Farmingdale vs. Massapequa and the battle between Longwood and Floyd, plus Michael Sicoli recaps some of the playoff soccer games, an update on the high school fantasy football standings and the plays of the week.
Sarra Sounds Off, Season 3, Ep. 6: Top football teams in action and soccer playoffs roundup Gregg Sarra sounds off on Farmingdale vs. Massapequa and the battle between Longwood and Floyd, plus Michael Sicoli recaps some of the playoff soccer games, an update on the high school fantasy football standings and the plays of the week.
