After a fire in a nine-story high-rise building in the Allgäu, the city of Mindelheim has to accommodate the more than 60 residents in other apartments a few days before Christmas Eve. “This is now an emergency situation, even just before Christmas,” said Julia Beck from the city administration on Tuesday.
According to initial investigations, the fire was started early Tuesday morning by an e-scooter battery that exploded on the fifth floor, leaving five people slightly injured. The building is initially uninhabitable due to the consequences of the smoke caused by the fire and the damage caused by the water used to extinguish the fire.
According to police, the fire broke out shortly before 1 a.m. As a result, there was a large-scale deployment of fire and rescue services. Because the stairwell was filled with smoke, residents had to be rescued from the building using a turntable ladder. The two people from the apartment where the fire broke out and three other people were injured. The apartment burned down completely, but the fire department was able to prevent the flames from spreading to other apartments. Investigators are still assuming property damage in the high six-figure range.
According to the authorities, more than 60 residents are registered in the building. The spokeswoman for the Mindelheim city administration (Unterallgäu district) said that those affected should now be accommodated in hotels, holiday apartments or a senior center. In addition, the Dominikus-Ringeisen-Werk, a large facility for people with disabilities in Ursberg (Günzburg district), made ten rooms available. Some residents have already been staying with friends.
On Tuesday morning, accommodation was still being sought for 21 people. The city hoped that owners with available apartments would come forward. Elderly seniors are just as affected as families with children. “The building will not be habitable for the foreseeable future,” said city spokeswoman Beck. People can now get their urgently needed personal items from their homes. They will be provided with clothing from a Caritas used clothing store.