Yacht explodes in Germany; 15 firefighters, 1 police injured

BERLIN – German officials say a yacht exploded in a port in the western town of Minden, injuring 15 firefighters and one police officer.

The German news agency dpa reported Wednesday that the firefighters were on the yacht to extinguish a smoldering fire, when the boat exploded. It wasn't immediately clear if the injured police officer was onboard too.

Fire department spokesman Heino Nordmeyer told dpa that "the three people, who were severely injured, have had surgery and are in stable condition."

The explosion late Tuesday was so severe that the yacht flew up several meters (feet) into the air and was destroyed. Two other boats nearby and a car on the port's pier were also badly damaged.

The reason for the explosion wasn't immediately clear.