CNN
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Several people were injured in an explosion that took place at a high-rise apartment building in Germany on Thursday, according to police.
The blast happened in the town of Ratingen-West in the Mettmann district of North Rhine-Westphalia, police said. A targeted attack has not been ruled out.
Public state broadcaster ZDF reported that up to 10 firefighters and two police officers were injured in the incident. According to the broadcaster, security sources could not rule out a targeted attack. A security operation is ongoing with snipers in place on a building opposite.
Police said that a call was made to the emergency services concerning someone in need of help, ZDF reported, adding that it remains unclear what the cause of the explosion is.
Germany’s Interior Minister Nancy Faeser is expected to comment on the incident later in the day.
Mettman district police wrote in a statement on Twitter: “There is an ongoing major incident in Ratingen-West. There has been an explosion, the cause of which is not yet clear. Several people are injured including police officers. More information to follow as soon as we have confirmed details.”
They later confirmed: “The explosion took place in an apartment in a high-rise building.”