Gas bottle explosion injures woman and destroys garden hut

A 56-year-old woman was injured when a gas bottle exploded at a garden hut near Bruck an der Mur on Sunday evening, ORF Steiermark reported. The blast set the hut ablaze.

Police said the incident happened shortly after 7 p.m. in a wooded area. The hut’s owner said she had been handling the gas bottle when it suddenly exploded. She suffered an injury to her hand, while no one else was hurt.

The fire spread quickly, prompting additional emergency crews to respond. Firefighters extinguished it at about 10.30 p.m. A local road was closed to keep onlookers away and prevent further danger.

Investigators believe the explosion and subsequent fire were caused by the removal of a pressurised gas hose. The hut and all its contents were destroyed. Trees, shrubs and a fence belonging to a neighbouring garden hut were also damaged.