Bochum: Fire kills three – 41-year-old resident arrested
Three people died following a devastating fire at a residential complex in Bochum. Police arrested a 41-year-old resident and are investigating on suspicion of murder.
Apartment fire in Bochum kills three
According to WELT, police in Bochum arrested a 41-year-old resident following a devastating fire. Three people died and five others were injured. The murder squad is questioning the suspect, against whom investigations for murder are underway. Police and prosecutors assume that he deliberately set the fire; a technical defect has been ruled out.
The victims are two women aged 25 and 27 and a 26-year-old man – all Indian nationals. The suspect is a Romanian national. Bochum's Lord Mayor Jörg Lukat (SPD) described the incident as a "tragedy the likes of which Bochum has not experienced in decades".
The fire service was alerted at around 4.15 am on Tuesday. People stood at windows on the first and second floors calling for help. Approximately 25 people were in the building. Five people were rescued using turntable ladders, portable ladders and an airbag and were treated by the emergency service; a cat was also rescued from the flames and given emergency oxygen treatment.
After approximately four hours the fire was extinguished. During the extinguishing operations, rescue workers found the three dead adults in one of the apartments. According to Bild, several prams in the building's hallway are said to have been set alight, blocking the only escape route. The victims had moved into the house only three weeks previously.
The affected residential building and neighbouring buildings were disconnected from the power supply by the municipal utilities and are currently uninhabitable. The social welfare office provided accommodation for one person; the remaining residents stayed with relatives and friends.
Source: WELT