Twenty-five people were injured, including four seriously, when an explosion destroyed an apartment block in Germany, police have said.

The explosion rocked the building in the city of Wuppertal, western Germany, shortly before midnight on Saturday. The cause is unclear.

Four seriously injured people were rescued from inside while a further 21 received minor injuries.

Fire broke out in several different parts of the building - which is three stories plus a converted loft - and firefighters had trouble putting it out because parts of the building kept collapsing.

Image: Four seriously injured people were rescued from inside

Emergency services were still trying to get the fire under control on Sunday.


A car parked outside was destroyed as it was buried under window frames that had been blown onto it by the impact of the explosion.

An investigation is under way into the cause of the blast.

Police described the scene as a "picture of devastation", German media reported.

There is now a huge gap in a row of apartments where the building stood in the city's Langerfeld neighbourhood.