Teen found dead in Germany after possible gas blast next door

Investigators in southern Germany are searching for the cause of a huge explosion in a house that left a teenager dead in a neighbouring property.

The body of a 17-year-old teenager was recovered from the rubble following the explosion in a residential building in the city of Memmingen, a police spokesman said early Saturday.

Rescue forces found the dead boy in a neighbouring house which was also severely damaged in the blast, the spokesman said.

The house where the explosion took place and the neighbouring houses all had gas pipes connected to them, police said.

"Of course this leads to suspicions that it was caused by a gas defect," a local police spokesman said.

The explosion occurred at approximately 5:20 pm (1520 GMT) on Friday.

A 68-year-old resident had not been home at the time of the blast and police later found him unharmed.

Rescue teams later discovered the teenager's body on the first floor of the neighbouring house.

More than 100 emergency forces have been deployed to assist in the operation and provide support to relatives and residents, police said.

According to a dpa photographer at the scene, parts of the house were propelled some 100 metres through the air by the explosion.

Neighbouring buildings as well as cars parked on the street were also severely damaged by the flying debris and the blast wave, police said.