Overview
- A building collapse in Görlitz killed three people, including two women in their mid-20s and a 48-year-old man, after emergency teams searched the rubble for days.
- Police arrested two suspects weeks after the collapse and prosecutors have now issued formal warrants on suspicion of jointly causing an explosive event with fatal consequences and of negligent homicide; both men remain in custody and were already jailed for other offenses.
- Expert reports have confirmed a gas explosion as the immediate cause of the collapse, and the state criminal police have finished a 3D reconstruction while material analyses are still being completed to check for deliberate tampering.
- Investigators say the suspects are suspected metal thieves who may have damaged or sawed building pipes, creating a gas leak that later ignited, and authorities point to investigative evidence gathered since the arrests.
- Nearby houses were temporarily evacuated after the blast and prosecutors say the new warrants will keep the suspects detained if earlier detention grounds lapse while forensic results determine whether criminal charges will be pursued.