Thursday 10 October 2019

AUSTRIA: Garbage Explosion Near Linz Airport, 5 Injured

An explosion rocked a garbage disposal facility near Linz airport in Austria, with police saying five people in total were injured, two of them seriously.

Fire crews from the surrounding area have rushed to the scene.

It’s currently unclear what caused the blast.

Over 250 first responders are at the scene, fighting the blaze and searching for others who may have been injured in the explosion.

Austrian police advised local residents to stay inside with their windows closed.

Officials said that there are no signs that the explosion was caused by a terrorist attack.

There are no indications that the blast was caused by a terrorist attack, a police spokesman said.

Police in Upper Austria province said in a statement that two people were seriously hurt in the explosion in the town of Hoersching that happened shortly after 8 a.m. local time.

At least five people have been injured in an explosion at a garbage disposal facility near the Linz airport, Austrian authorities said on Thursday.

Two people sustained serious burn injuries and were airlifted via helicopter to two hospitals, while three others were slightly injured in the blast, police said.

Images from the scene showed a thick column of smoke rising from the site.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. A police spokesperson said there were no indications that the blast was caused by a terrorist attack.

The incident reportedly occurred shortly after 8:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) at the waste disposal plant, prompting a fire to break out.

Over 250 firefighters are battling the blaze, which spread to two warehouses and has proven difficult to put out, reported Austrian public broadcaster ORF.

Over 20 employees at the plant were in the area when the explosion took place. The majority of the workers were able to evacuate safely.

Tourism Observer

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