Five people were seriously injured in an explosion in an apartment building in the western German city of Saarbrücken overnight after the suspected manipulation of gas canisters.

According to the German Red Cross, several gas canisters exploded in the first floor of the building leaving four men and one woman with life-threatening injuries.

The occupant of the apartment is thought to have sabotaged the gas tanks following a dispute over rent. Police in the state of Saarland are still investigating at the scene.