2 dead in explosion in western Denmark

Two people died Saturday in western Denmark following a blast at a storage depot, police said. The explosion and subsequent fire took place at a former civil defence complex in the town of Andst in southern Jutland, dpa reported. Police said they were investigating the cause of the explosion. A theory was that fireworks had been illegally stored at the depot. Military bomb disposal experts were deployed after the discovery of unexploded fireworks at the scene. After the fireworks were removed, emergency services were able to resume their efforts to put out the blaze. The site is used mainly for storage and rented out to various users, the owner of the site told local media. Police said 174 houses within a 400-metre-radius were evacuated but most people were allowed to return home by late Saturday. While the fire was raging, inhabitants were advised to stay indoors to avoid inhaling smoke.