One person has been killed and ten injured following what is believed to be an explosion caused by an exposed gas pipe in Germany.
The blast occurred at a building site in Ludwigshafen, Rhineland-Palatinate, at about 11.30am on Thursday. Police and firefighters responded to the scene and immediately shut down the area.
Police confirmed one builder had been killed and four other construction workers are among those injured.
Eyewitnesses said flames shot as high as 200 metres in the air, according to The Local.
The news site said gas supplier Gascade confirmed the accident occurred when a gas pipe was exposed.
Local police later published a picture of smoke emerging from the site after the fire had been extinguished. Building and vehicles in the surrounding area are said to have been left damaged by the explosion.
Bild von der aktuellen Situation in #Ludwigshafen nach #Explosion pic.twitter.com/tJTNSXU5eS
; PP Rheinpfalz (@PP_Rheinpfalz) October 23, 2014
The building site is near a BASF chemical plant in the town.