A mother and her adult son were apparently mauled to death by their own dog in a flat in the northern German city of Hanover, police said on Wednesday.
Fire rescue workers captured the Staffordshire Terrier when they broke into the flat.
“Preliminary investigations by a forensic specialist indicate that the 52-year-old and her 27-year-old son were killed by the dog,” said police.
The woman’s 25-year-old daughter alerted authorities after she could not contact either of her two family members.
She spotted a lifeless body through the window of the flat.
“It currently remains unclear how the accident could come about,” said investigators.
Forensic specialists will now determine the exact cause of death of the two individuals.