A 47-year-old man died during the police operation, during which a shot was fired. There is currently no information on the autopsy results.
According to the current state of investigation, the explosion in an apartment that occurred during a police operation in Vienna-Ottakring on Wednesday night was caused by deliberate manipulation of the gas boiler. This was announced by the State Police Directorate on Thursday. One man died during the large-scale operation by all emergency services, and firearms were also used by the Cobra task force (Eko).
On Wednesday, the Vienna State Criminal Police Office assumed that the hot tub had been manipulated after no explosives were found in the apartment. The operation was triggered by a man who had thrown objects out of the window of this apartment in Klausgasse. The police arrived, but the man ignored all attempts to communicate by officers from Eko Cobra and the Vienna Emergency Task Force (WEGA). When the apartment was opened, the explosion occurred.
Exact cause of death still unclear
It is also assumed that the man who later died is the apartment tenant, a 47-year-old Serbian citizen. However, there is still no information as to whether the man died as a result of the shot or whether the explosion was ultimately responsible. An autopsy was announced for yesterday, Wednesday, but the Investigation and Complaints Office for Allegations of Mistreatment (EBM), which is responsible for this, did not provide the APA with any information on this, as the investigations into the use of firearms have not yet been completed. The EBM has been in operation since January 22, 2024 and is located at the Federal Office for the Prevention and Combating of Corruption (BAK) and thus outside the scope of the General Directorate for Public Security.
Further investigations into the explosion, which left seven people slightly injured, are being conducted by the Vienna State Criminal Police Office, Fire, Explosion and Explosives Investigation Department. There was no danger of the affected house in Klausgasse collapsing. However, the fire brigade had to secure parts of the building by cordoning off the buildings yesterday. According to the emergency measures group, no tenants in the building required emergency accommodation, and the landlord is now responsible for further renovation work following the explosion. (APA)
