West German authorities placed the epicenter between the West German towns of Kassel and Bad Hersfeld.
At a recent manual labor trade fair in Kassel, about 110 miles north of Frankfurt, construction worker Friedrick Baum, 64, explained what the long-range effects of the trainee shortage might be in his trade.
Prosecutor Stephan Walcher in the nearby city of Kassel said a full investigation had been launched into the cause of the disaster.
Erwin Braun, head of the coal administration board in Kassel, said an explosion of such ferocity had never been recorded in the region.
Kassel is 72 miles northeast of Frankfurt and 18 miles from the East German border.
Kassel prosecutor Stephan Walcher said a full investigation was launched into the cause of the disaster.
The court ruled in favour of the city of Kassel, which in 1992 imposed a 50 pfennig (20 pence) tax on each disposable item made from synthetic material.
Henryk Szeryng, a virtuoso violinist known for his refreshing and moving renditions of Bach and Brahms, died Thursday in Kassel, West Germany, of a cerebral hemorrhage.