Rescuers search for 3 missing after German building collapse possibly caused by gas explosion

Rescue teams in eastern Germany searched for three missing people after a building collapsed in Gorlitz, possibly due to a gas explosion, with efforts ongoing to locate and clear debris.

Rescue teams in eastern Germany searched on Tuesday morning for three people who were missing after a building collapsed in the eastern city of Gorlitz near the Polish border.

Police said a gas explosion may have been the cause of the collapse of the building, which took place Monday night.

Emergency responders proceeded with great caution at the scene in case of gas leaks, German news agency DPA reported.

After unsuccessful attempts to locate the missing under the rubble with the help of search dogs, rescuers began clearing debris with an excavator and by hand around 2 am Tuesday.

Initial concerns that up to five people may have been buried under rubble turned out to be wrong, police said.

A man who feared his wife and cousin might be trapped under the rubble said Monday that they had arrived that day for a vacation in the rented house. While shopping at a nearby supermarket, he heard an explosion and returned to the house to find nothing but a large pile of rubble, DPA reported.

The collapsed building in the historic Wilhelminian style contained rental and vacation apartments, police said.

Gorlitz is Germany's easternmost city with a population of 57,000. The historic, undamaged old town district is a popular location for international film productions.