In the news...
Monday, December 11, 2000
BERLIN (Reuters) - A lovesick German who had second thoughts over a
suicide attempt nearly died minutes later when he accidentally blew his
apartment block up, police in the western town of Moenchengladbach said.
Left by his girlfriend, the 35-year-old man decided Sunday to end his
life by causing a gas explosion in the block he shared with two other
families.
However after turning on all the gas taps in the cellar of the building
he had second thoughts and turned them off again.
The explosion happened as he went back to his apartment and lit a
cigarette, unaware the block was still full of gas. Police said the
blast destroyed the building's roof and several walls.
Nobody was seriously injured but police said a child belonging to one of
the families suffered mild gas poisoning. The man was taken into custody
for further questioning.
