Two dead in explosions in underground parking garage in Switzerland

Two people have been killed in explosions and a fire in an underground parking garage in the Swiss city of Nussbaumen. There were also eleven minor injuries and more than a hundred people had to be evacuated, Swiss authorities report.

According to local media, there were several explosions in the parking garage under an apartment building on Thursday evening. A fire also broke out. Local residents say the explosions could be heard far from the apartment building, after which they saw a large cloud of smoke rising. It is still unclear what caused the explosions, but police assume it was an accident.

The fire spread to upper floors and firefighting efforts continued well into the night. The damage to the building is extensive, police said. There is also a risk of collapse in some parts of the building, which means that evacuees cannot yet return to their homes.