VIENNA, June 27 (Xinhua) -- At least one person has died following an explosion Wednesday in an apartment building in Vienna, with a further person now located under the rubble showing no signs of life.
The suspected gas explosion in the central district of Wieden that occurred Wednesday afternoon tore through multiple stories of the five-floor communal apartment building as well as part of a neighboring building, with 14 people initially reported injured.
As rescue crews numbering over 100 people worked through the night into Thursday the first fatality from the accident was discovered, followed by what could now be a second.
Search efforts are focusing on further missing persons trapped under debris in the building, after authorities determined that no people were stuck in cars covered in rubble on the street as was initially feared.
The crews face the problem of having to sort through several tons of rubble carefully in order not to further injure people who may be trapped underneath. This also makes it difficult for authorities to determine how much longer search efforts will take.
While a few residents are presently unaccounted for, it has not been ascertained whether they were present in the building during the explosion.
The cause of the explosion has not yet been determined, though at present a defective gas boiler is believed to be the most likely reason.
