- Three Indian nationals killed in Bochum residential fire.
- Five others sustained injuries in the building blaze.
- Incident occurred Tuesday, reported by local media.
Three Indian nationals were killed and five others injured in a fire at a residential building in Bochum, Germany, local media reported on Wednesday. According to a report by Report.az, the incident occurred on Tuesday, although the report did not confirm the victims’ nationalities on the same day.
The victims were identified as two women, aged 25 and 27, and a 26-year-old man. Their identities and home states in India were not disclosed.
Romanian national arrested in suspected arson case
Police have arrested a 41-year-old Romanian man who lived in the building on suspicion of murder. Investigators have ruled out a technical malfunction and suspect arson, German news channel n-tv reported, citing the German Press Agency (DPA). However, they are still investigating whether the fire was deliberately set or started accidentally.
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"When emergency services arrived, the fire had already spread extensively. Thick smoke was billowing from the building, and five people were calling for help from the windows. They were terrified," local media quoted an emergency services spokesperson as saying.
What happened with the three Indians in Germany?
The fire broke out early on Tuesday in a multi-family residential building in Bochum's Hofstede district. Emergency services were alerted around 4.15 am local time. Firefighters found the three victims dead in an apartment on the second floor. The five injured people suffered smoke inhalation and were taken to hospitals in Bochum.
The firefighting operation was particularly difficult because the flames had spread upwards through the stairwell, preventing firefighters from using it to reach residents on the upper floors, WDR reported. Firefighters rescued two people using a turntable ladder, two using portable ladders and another person with a safety cushion, according to the DPA report carried by n-tv.
(With inputs from agency)