3 killed in house explosion in northern Germany

Authorities say three people are dead after an explosion in a house in northern Germany.

Police in the northern city of Salzgitter said today that a man, a woman and a child died in the explosion in a building occupied by several families.

It is not yet clear what caused the early morning explosion and police and prosecutors are investigating.

In a separate case, authorities are also investigating a fire in the city of Hamburg that killed a woman from Pakistan and her two children late Wednesday. The dpa news agency reports that arson is suspected in that case, but that there is no evidence at the moment of an anti-foreigner motive.