Attempt to vacuum out petrol from diesel car leads to blast

HAMBURG: A motorist in Germany set off an explosion at a petrol station after he attempted to extract super grade fuel from his diesel vehicle using a vacuum cleaner.

A passenger was slightly injured in the incident in the western German town of Witten, police said on Monday.

All those involved fled the petrol station.

Police believe the motorist accidentally filled up with petrol late last Saturday and then, realising the error, rolled the car to the gas station's automatic vacuum cleaner.

"He inserted the hose of the stationary vacuum cleaner into the tank nozzle and switched on the device to suck out the petrol," police said.

As a result, he triggered an explosion, they said. One of two women accompanying the man was injured in the incident, they said.